Genesis
by ShadowMajin
Summary: Sequel to City of a Thousand Laughs. The Kryptonian. The Amazon. The Green Lantern. The Martian. The Fastest Man Alive. The Thanagarian. They are the greatest heroes on the planet. And they...will...fall...
1. It Began With A Robbery

Hello everyone, ShadowMajin here. This time I'm going solo on this next addition of my DC Universe and my first into the Justice League fandom, my usual co-author opting out. There are quite a few references to my other Batman stories The Ninth Circle, The Sixth Move, and particularly City of a Thousand Laughs, so for those who haven't read them, there's some spoilers in the upcoming chapters. As for this story, I'm pretty excited about it. I hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

The sounds of constant chatter filled the room, mingling with the constant typing of computer keys and the stamping of shoes on polished linoleum flooring. Phones rang unabated, men and women answering them with varied levels of civility.

It was after lunch at the Daily Planet, so scenes like this were a dime a dozen. Morning stories were just being finished for publication, be it for the newspaper or its online webpage. Though rushed and stressed, most of the people here were nice once they weren't chafing at deadlines set in stone by the paper's infamous editor.

Clark Kent wasn't one of those people. He was currently on break after sending in his story about the latest bust on Lexcorp, a thrilling piece on the toxic waste one of its plants in Arizona had been producing and subsequent dumping in one of the state's rivers, which just so happened to be the biggest source of drinking water for the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It had taken a lot of hours and a quick trip to the desert to make sure everything was correct. Perry White hadn't stopped gushing about it for ten seconds until he ordered the taller, buffer man out of his office and to get back to work.

That was usually the way it was around here and Clark loved it. It also didn't hurt that he was partnered with one of the paper's most famous reporters, the lovely Lois Lane. She had been a veteran for the paper for all of six months when they met and her fiery personality had left the dark-haired man speechless. It had taken the better part of three months before those steely purple eyes had lightened up and Clark wasn't walking on eggshells around her.

Of course, perhaps part of that came from his other alter ego.

Today, however, Lois seemed to be subdued, her firecracker personality pulling in a disappearing act. Seated at her desk, one of her bare legs crossed over the other with her white skirt draped over her thighs, the dark-haired woman stared at her computer screen, an email looking right back at her.

Leaning forward over his own desk, his white dress shirt pressing up against the wooden surface, Clark called out, "You okay there, Lois?"

The woman jumped in her seat before turning her head to look at him, her long black hair dragging against the back of her purple suit jacket. "Yeah, I'm fine, Smallville," she said quietly. "Just lost track of time is all."

Glancing to Lois' screen, Clark focused on the email window, his eyes squinting as he did so. It was gradual, but the letters on the screen went from a jumble of black font to clear letters. It was then he realized just what was putting a dark cloud over his fellow reporter.

"So it's that time of the year, right?" he asked more for clarification. Anyone familiar with Lois' backstory knew what the cause of her melancholy was. Before she had arrived at the Daily Planet, she had done the beat in Gotham, doing such a good job there that she had eventually been offered a job in Metropolis.

Towards the end of her tenure in Gotham though, the dark-haired woman had begun doing stories of the city's infamous vigilante, the Batman. A couple of her pieces had even been up for the Pulitzer, but neither brought in the win. Though pissed, she continued churning out her work as if she hadn't been insulted and spat upon by "clueless idiots who haven't written a story since Hitler was still alive." Her words, not his.

Though, what was more fascinating than Lois' story was her claim to have actually met the Batman. She didn't talk about it much, but one day, during a lunch break, she had let it slip that she had encountered the vigilante during the so-called Night of Ice. She didn't go into much detail no matter how much he and the Planet's top photographer, Jimmy Olsen, pressed.

That all changed about three years ago when, for a two-week span, a madman simply known as the Joker went on a rampage throughout the city. The resulting damage had annihilated the Gotham City Police Department, set a third of the city on fire, and ended with the death of the Batman. Though it was believed the Joker also perished in the flames, no body was ever found.

That wasn't the case with the Batman. A damaged cape and mask had been found in the wreckage, all but confirm the man's demise. For Clark, it was a terrible reminder that even heroes could die given the right circumstances.

A reminder he was more than familiar with lately.

"Yeah, same time as last year," Lois eventually answered.

"So you're going to the memorial service again?"

Due to Lois' connection to Gotham, she had been the reporter sent to do the story on that tragic night—then again, she had all but told Perry that she was going no matter what he said. The older man had given his blessing with, "You better get a damn good story out of this, Lane."

And every year since, a memorial service was hosted in Gotham, to which Lois always attended. Perhaps it was because of her meeting with the vigilante that she was so personal about this story; Clark felt that was the primary reason for her annual melancholy. Of course, once she got back she was the familiar spitfire she usually was.

"Of course I am," she replied before letting out a sigh. "Not sure why I go anymore. Gotham's not the same it used to be. It's gotten too dangerous."

"Because the Batman isn't there?" the dark-haired man suggested.

Lois raised a hand up, waving it flippantly as if she were searching for the right way to answer him. "I think so, yeah, but it's way worse than when I was living there. It's like the city's lost its soul and is drowning in darkness."

Clark did not like the sound of that. Say what you want about Lois' usual temperament, that was no place for a lady, much less a full-grown man. "Why do you go then? I'm sure there's plenty of others willing to take over."

Normally, Lois would've glared him down to the point he felt like an insignificant worm. If there was one thing the dark-haired woman wasn't, it was delicate. The first time Clark had made the mistake of indicating she was in over her head, she had threatened him with emasculation if he ever said that to her again. So it was a credit to the dark-haired woman's mood that she didn't pull out a rusted knife and made to rip off his pants.

Instead, she let out another sigh. "I guess I feel like I owe it to…" She hesitant for a moment before finally saying, "Myself. It's just something I have to do, kinda like our Boy in Blue."

Which to Clark meant it was for anyone but her. Ignoring her reference to Metropolis' own hero, the dark-haired man felt now was perhaps a good time to poke into his partner's earlier days. Though he hated to admit it, her depressed state was a rare opportunity, one Lois would've dived in head first if their roles were reversed.

"What was he like?" he asked softly, so as not to startle her out of her mood. "Batman, I mean."

Again, Lois stared out into space before the corner of her mouth twitched up, a flicker of life appearing in her eyes. It was an unexpected reaction to say the least. "A jerk," she grunted out. "He was a total jerk. If it weren't for daylight hours, he'd probably be beating up every punk and thug he could find 24/7.

"That being said, underneath all the gruff and piss-poor manners, he was a decent guy. Not someone I'd take home to meet mother, mind you, but he meant well." She sighed then. "He didn't deserve what happened to him."

"Whoa, that's pretty heavy stuff, Lois."

Clark turned his head to look at a young redhead standing next to Lois' desk. That was Jimmy, freckles and all. He even had his camera hanging around his neck by its neck strap, always ready to take a picture when the need arised.

"Well, talking about dead guys tends to do that," the dark-haired woman snarked. "Don't you have some pigeons to take pictures of, or something?"

Jimmy didn't look offended by the woman's curt dismissal of him—in fact, he was probably one of the few people not taken back by Lois' more acerbic barbs. You normally couldn't tell considering how youthful he usually acted. "Actually, I came to remind you about the Mayor's press con—"

"The Mayor's Press Conference," Lois immediately interrupted, straightening up in her seat. Gone was the depressed woman and in her seat was the sharp-eyed reporter. Hands quickly straightening out her blouse and jacket, the dark-haired woman reached for her purse, opening it and checking to make sure all of its contents were in there. "Pen, pad, tape recorder," she mumbled to herself before snapping it shut. "Alright, Jimmy, let's go. Catch you on the flip side, Smallville."

Clark gave her a warm smile, watching her march off with Jimmy trailing behind her. Sometimes it was amazing how that woman could change her moods when need be. It was nice to see her showing some semblance of her normal self.

And speaking of normal selves, there was something else he needed to work on, though it wasn't necessarily work related. Turning to his computer, the dark-haired man pressed a hand on his carefully combed and gel hair, making sure it was still intact before reaching to his keyboard and began typing.

* * *

Over the last couple of weeks there had been a rash of robberies that had been vexing law enforcement lately. The robbers would break in, stealing whatever it was they were after, and get out without setting off a single alarm. The crimes usually weren't discovered until the next morning, when the owners or their employees would stumble upon the scene.

Most discerning to Clark was that he hadn't heard a single one of them. Considering he had above-average hearing—which was a severe understandment—the dark-haired man was very concerned about the ability of these robbers. It was luck that no one had been harmed yet, but it was only a matter of time until someone innocent walked in on the robbers.

So that was why Clark was up in the lower stratosphere, focusing on his hearing to pick up on anything that could signify the latest robbery. So far the robberies had only involved the theft of valuables and money, so he was currently…

Oh wait, he hadn't explained why he was up in the stratosphere. It'd be confusing for those who were unfamiliar with him and his abilities. Many apologies.

Clark was not your average person, if you hadn't figured out by now. In fact, he wasn't even human; he was the last surviving member of an alien race that had been wiped out by their planet exploding. Though he didn't know what had led to such a catastrophic event, it had resulted in his birth parents placing him within a rocket and launching him into space.

That craft came to land in a cornfield in the middle of rural Kansas, where two humans by the name of Jonathan and Martha Kent found him. The Kents had taken him in and raised him as their own even when he began manifesting his non-human traits.

And those traits were vast indeed. Super-hearing, super-strength, the ability to fly, the list just went on and on. Clark even suspected he had yet to tap into his full potential. And due to his upbringing, he found himself wanting to use them for the betterment of his fellow man. For that he had been given the name Superman.

Red cape draped over the blue spandex of his body suit, Superman hovered over the light cover of clouds, the lights of Metropolis shining up to greet him. A red S encased in a yellow diamond design proudly announced his emblem to all who laid eyes upon him, be they good or bad.

Though anyone would've been hard-pressed to spot him as high up as he was. The main reason he was up here was to give himself better access to all the sounds throughout the city. Superman may have had sharp hearing, but the presence of the buildings acted as buffers that could distort, if not hide some sounds, no fault of their own. By removing those buffers, he found he had better access to every sound made throughout Metropolis and this was what he needed to catch his quiet thieves.

A sense of pride began building up within the Kryptonian. There was very little in the acts of crime tonight, something he was glad for. While Metropolis didn't have Gotham's reputation for criminal activity, that didn't mean there wasn't any. For the four and a half years he'd been at this, he was proud to say that the crime rate had plummeted thanks to his interventions.

A sharp sound went off, interrupting Superman's musings. That was a silent alarm coming from—he focused his hearing, isolating the source of the alarm—the Metropolis Museum.

In a split second, he was rocketing from the sky towards the museum, arms extended out in front of him, wind beating at his body as his cape flapped behind him. He was like a blue blur crossing the sky until he reached his destination, hovering in front of the large building.

From where the Kryptonian floated, he could see no visible sign of entry; it was time to make use of one of his other powers. Eyes squinting—mostly due to habit than any real need—Superman's sight began closing in on the face of the building until he saw through it. The layout of the museum greeted him, the exhibits appearing before his eyes. There were a few points he couldn't see due to the presence of lead, but that was due to the composition of the exhibit more than any real attempt at deception. For all the uses that x-ray vision gave, it could still be blocked by the right amount of select minerals, in this case lead. Considering that this was becoming wide-spread knowledge, some less than savory people had begun taking advantage of that.

Still, that wouldn't be a problem tonight. In short order, Superman soon spotted the people he was looking for. On the ground floor, next to a skeleton of a T-Rex stood a few men, each dressed in head to toe in some sort of bodysuits. There appeared to be goggles over their eyes, but other than that there wasn't any other obvious identifiers.

Superman frowned. Who were these guys? They didn't look like any robbers he was familiar with.

Another sweep of the building with his x-ray vision showed there were two other robbers on the second floor, standing next to a glass case with a large red ruby in it. This alarmed the Kryptonian. He had been assigned a story by Perry on that jewel, so he was very familiar with the security system surrounding it, especially the sensory beams that protected the gem. The fact that those two men stood next to the case without having broken one of the beams spoke of just how skilled they were.

The Kryptonian frowned again. If these men were skilled enough to avoid detection by a state-of-the-art security system, then why did the silent alarm go off? Something wasn't right about this.

That would be something he would have to ask them. Looking to the roof, Superman flew over to it, looking for an entry point these men used. He found a glass enclosure that showed no sign of damage, so that obviously wasn't it. However, he could very well use it. Landing on the ground next to it, he quickly located one of the lower panels that had a padlock lying under it. Kneeling down, he picked up the lock and squeezed it in the palm of his hand. Instantaneously, he felt it crumple and break into pieces. Opening his fingers, the remains of the padlock dropped onto the roof.

Feeling against the metal frame, Superman soon found the groove that separated the panel from the rest of the enclosure. Pulling it up, he created an entry point for him to sneak into the museum.

Once in, he was a blur of blue and red, appearing behind the backs of the two men standing before the ruby case. These guys definitely had some skill as they had managed to remove the jewel from its case in the time it took Superman to spot them and gain entry into the museum.

So it was with a stern tone of voice that he said, "You do know that doesn't belong to you."

Their reactions were instant, the two snapping around to look at him. Due to their masks, he couldn't see the shock that was undoubtedly on their faces. "Now, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way," he continued. "Either way, you are leaving that ruby where it belongs and you will be coming with me."

In response, both men pulled out guns and opened fired on him. Calmly, Superman let the bullets pelt him, the pieces of lead either flattening against his body, or ricocheting off into the walls.

So it was going to be the hard way as usual.

With the blur of his arm, he slapped the guns out of the robbers' hands. Though it felt more like a tap to him, the weapons were practically ripped from the men's grasp, shattering into pieces as they hit the wall. The robbers looked at the remains of their guns before looking back to the Man of Steel.

"Had enough?" the Kryptonian asked.

That's when he heard something bouncing on the floor drawing closer to him. Turning his head, Superman was taken back by the sight of the other robbers standing several yards off. How had they been able to sneak up on him without him hearing them? His attention was soon drawn to a baseball-sized ball rolling to his feet.

Suddenly, stream of gas blasted out of the ball, immediately filling the air with noxious fumes. More out of instinct than anything, Superman shot his arms up to cover his face, breathing in the gas and promptly trying to cough it back out. As irritating as that was, tears began to well up around his eyes to protect them from some irritant in the gas.

Two forms raced passed the Kryptonian and it didn't take much for him to figure out it was the robbers. So they thought they could escape from him by throwing a gas bomb at him? They were about to find out just how wrong they were about that.

Launching himself, Superman flew out of the smoke, the sudden rush of air against him riding his eyes of the irritating gas. It also gave him cleaner air to breathe and he allowed it to clear his lungs. Seeing the escaping men, he poured on some more speed and stretched his arms out to either side of him.

This allowed him to ram his arms into the backs of two of them, causing them to bend over backwards from the blows, their legs flinging up from the floor. Coming to an abrupt halt, Superman watched as momentum kept the men airborne, sending them flying across the room until they crashed into an exhibit presenting two Japanese-style armored suits. Superman winced as he watched the pieces of armor break and scatter about the floor. He was gonna have to apologize to the curator about the mess.

A whirling sound caught his attention then, causing him to turn in time to see spinning ninja stars glance off his shoulder. That surprised him; what were ninjas doing robbing museums?

To add to the mystery, one of the remaining standing ninja began barking orders out in a foreign tongue. In response, two of the ninjas withdrew swords from scabbards on their backs. Holding the blades in front of them, they began circling the Man of Steel in opposite directions.

While he could respect dedication, Superman was pretty sure this was all some pointless exercise in resistance. It was pretty obvious none of these men were a challenge, much less harmful to him at this point. It was time to put an end to this and get some answers.

Sucking in a deep breath, Superman then aimed his head towards the closest sword-wielding ninja and let out a quick burst of air. That was the equivalent of a 60-mph galestorm, which served to blow the ninja off his feet and sending him flying across the room until he slammed into a wall. He quickly slid down to the floor, going limp once he hit the floor. A quick jerk of his head allowed Superman to do the same to the other sword-wielder, his sight lingering on the ninja until he too crashed against a wall.

That just left the leader. Turning his sights to the man, Superman caught sight of something flying towards his face at rapid speed. Shooting a hand up, he caught a thin, black dart, yellow feathers decorating its end. Staring at the dart's tip, the Man of Steel was quick to notice a substance carefully applied to it. No doubt it was some sort of poison. With a quick blow of air, he made sure to lower the temperature of his breath, causing the dart's tip to freeze over with a layer of ice. Sure that it wouldn't harm anyone, he dropped the projectile to floor, hearing it clatter on the tile.

With a burst of speed, Superman launched himself into the air, closing the distance between him and the last ninja and ramming his shoulder into the man. Combined with his blow and speed, the dark-haired man lifted his opponent off the floor and carried him through the air against his body until they hit a support column holding the roof up. The ninja let out a gasp of pain before the Kryptonian grabbed a fist full of his suit, holding him high off the floor.

"Let's try this again," Superman said, looking up at the man. "What are you doing robbing the museum?"

The ninja stared down at him, refusing to answer. This caused the man in blue to frown. "This will go a lot easier for you if you'd tell me what I need to know. The sooner your cooperate, the sooner we can be finish with this."

Again, the ninja remained silent, but eventually did say something—in an entirely different language. it was the same one he had used to give commands to his men, but it was still one the Kryptonian couldn't translate. This only frustrated him. "Look, I get it, you don't want to talk, but lets face it, you're not going anywhere. You and your men are going to jail and you might as well make it easier on yourself by talking."

That caused the man to begin laughing, though the rough nature of his voice made it sound as if he were barking. "That is what you think, Alien."

The sudden usage of English caught Superman off guard, but he fully realized the ninja thought his view of things were wrong. Whipping his head around, the Man of Steel was surprised to find that he and his captive were the only ones in the room, the other ninjas mysteriously gone. The only evidence that they had even been there was the wreckage of one of the exhibits.

Eyes widening, Superman took a moment to compose himself before looking back at the one ninja he did have, giving him a stern look. The man seemed to get a kick out of this and began to taunt, "We are not the simple criminals you are used to dealing with."

"Where did they go?" Superman demanded, tightening his grip. "And believe me, I will get you to talk."

The ninja snorted before responding, "There is no need for threats, Alien. We both know you will not harm me."

Hardening his features, Superman slowly lowered the ninja down until they looked each other at eye level. That was when he suddenly threw a punch, slamming his fist into the column and leaving a spiderweb's worth of cracks. "The next one will be for your head."

The ninja had his head turned, looking at the cracks. He then looked at the Kryptonian before saying in a more subdued tone, "Despite what you believe, I know very little."

"Then we can start with what you do know."

The man seemed to consider that before nodding. "Etemenanki."

"Etemenanki?" Superman repeated. "What is that? A person? A place?"

The ninja merely responded with pointing in a direction, what Superman took to be the east. "Across the ocean and into the mountains, that is where Etemenanki lies."

"You're going to have to do more than that."

The ninja shook his head. "I have told you everything I know. For that, my life is forfeit as required by the League of Assassins.

"I only wish I could see your face when you fall."

Before Superman could figure out what that meant, the man's head suddenly jerked up, his body spasming. In shock, the Kryptonian released his hold on the man and stepped back, watching him collapse onto the floor, going limp. Staring, Superman was wary as he slowly knelled down and made to remove the ninja's mask.

When he got a look at the man's face, he suddenly realized just what happened. The Man of Steel was greeted with a mask of death on the ninja's face, black lines spreading all over his face and neck like veins. The ninja must've had some sort of cyanide tablet in his mouth and cracked it open. Damn it.

That just left this business with the "League of Assassins." The dark-haired man hadn't ever heard of them before and he got the feeling there was more to them than a bunch of robberies. While he didn't know much about this Etemenanki place or person, that was currently his only lead at the moment and it was best to follow through on it.

Stepping away from the dead man, the Kryptonian lifted up into the air, exiting out the same way he entered and turned east. He was going to get his answers one way or another and he'd get it done tonight.


	2. Etemenanki

Dark water blurred beneath Superman as he flew over it, eyes staring out ahead of him as he crossed the Atlantic.

His encounter at the museum had been extremely unusual, at least in comparison to the crimes he was used to encountering. None of the criminals he had confronted had willinging committed suicide in front of him; it had been a very disturbing sight to behold. Whatever this League of Assassins was, it must've demanded strict dedication amongst its ranks. There was no other explanation he could think of for such extreme actions.

As to this League, Superman hadn't ever heard of it, even with his travels throughout the world. Worldwide threats had come and gone, requiring his presence to stop it, along with the introductions of foreign cultures he had never met before. From the sandy expanses of the Sahara to the icy tundra of Siberia to harsh wilderness of the Mayan Peninsula, the Kryptonian had traveled through them all and met their people.

And despite these extensive travels, none of the people he had met had ever mentioned this League, so that naturally left the only conclusion that it was some sort of secret organization that preferred the darkness of the shadows than the light of day. Regardless of its proclivity, Superman wasn't going to let these ninjas hide out for much longer. They had already made the mistake of committing robberies in his city and they must be brought to justice.

"Hey, Supes!"

Thoughts interrupted, Superman jerked his head to a side, just in time to see a red blur catch up with him. The blur was literally running on water, causing it to splash out on either side of it as each step it took disturbed and forced the water up and out. It took a moment for his eye to adjust, but soon the Kryptonian was seeing the blur as a man dressed in red from head to toe, a yellow lightning bolt emblazoned on his chest.

"Flash," the Man of Steel greeted him.

"Fancy meeting you out here," the Flash responded, seeming to slow down, not that you could really tell. Due to his super speed, it was nearly impossible to distinguish the different speeds he could go unless you had a keen eye, one that was used to high-speed velocity. To Superman, he could definitely tell the younger man was settling into a speed that allowed him to comfortably keep up with him, though perhaps it should've been the other way around.

"What brings you out from Central City?" the Kryptonian asked. "I'm pretty sure it's too early for our next race."

"Nah man, I'm on a case," Flash responded, not bothering to shake his head. "Gotta say, it's taken me places I never thought I'd be."

"Funny, so am I. I guess we should catch up with each other when we're done."

"I'm down for that. It's on you, right? Can't say I have my wallet on me."

The corner of Superman's mouth twitched up. For a man that could literally be at any place at any time, it was ridiculous for him to toss out that line. Then again, from what he heard, the red-clad hero got free food at any time in his city. It was no wonder he didn't bother carrying money.

"So where are you headed?" Flash asked. "Running's nice, but it can get a little old without someone to talk to, ya know? Please tell me you're heading to some place with babes. I've been striking out lately and I need a score."

Superman chuckles. "Sorry Flash, can't say I am."

"Damn. Hey, maybe you can change that! You can be my wingman and hit the beach. I heard there's nude beaches in these parts of the world."

"Nope, no beach. I'm heading for some place in the mountains. Some place called Etemenanki."

Flash jerked his head to look at him with surprise. "You're kidding me!" he exclaimed. "That's where I'm heading!"

That got Superman's attention. There was only one reason why two heroes were going to the same place and it most likely had to do with the same organization. "Tell me, Flash, have you had a rash of robberies in Central City?"

"Yeah, how'd you…" he trailed off. "Oh, you had your own? Damn, these guys are everywhere!"

"You mean the League of Assassins?"

That caused the Flash to give him a funny look. "League? Don't you mean the Society of Assassins?"

Superman frowned. "No, I mean League."

Flash was quiet for a moment, much to the concern of the Man of Steel. But then he opened his mouth. "Oh sure, you get a league of ninja people, but I get some society. Just because I don't have super strength or twenty different visions doesn't make me less of a hero."

"Of course, it doesn't," the Kryptonian tried to soothe the red-clad man's ego. "But it seems odd, doesn't it? Masked men going on a crime spree in two different cities, only to give us the same location?"

"Coincidence?"

"I'm not convinced."

Flash shrugged his shoulders. "Well, then they have some bad timing. I mean, they're sending the fastest man alive and a walking steel wall to their hideout. Pretty amateurish if you ask me."

Superman nodded. "Definitely a trap then." The corner of his mouth twitched up then. "I hope you don't mind if I join you on this."

"Hey, the more the merrier, man. Between the two of us, we'll have this thing done in no time and then we can hit the beach. Just think about it, all of them Euro babes hanging off our arms. It's heaven I tell ya."

Right about then, they reached land, the rising water kicked up by Flash turning into a dirt cloud as soil was thrown up behind him. If Superman wasn't mistaken, this was the European peninsula, and the closest mountain range would be the Alps. Between him and Flash, they could super speed their way throughout the range in no time and find this Etemenanki place.

"The mountains should be coming up soon," he called out to his partner. "I'll cover the northern half if you do the south."

Flash shook his head. "No can do, Supes. Place we're going is in the Middle East."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"I did some research." There was a pause. "What, you didn't?"

The dark-haired man blinked his eyes. It hadn't even occurred to him to look up what Etemenanki was. Perry would have his butt in a vice if he ever heard about this. "Guess I forgot," he replied lamely.

"Then it's a good thing you ran into me, Supes. I know bumbling around is more your style, but you gotta at least know a thing or two about the places you go. Would've thought a stand-up guy like you would've known that with all the traveling you do—"

"What did you find out?" the Kryptonian interrupted before he was chastised any further. It was one thing to know he messed up, but to have a guy with known maturity issues rub it in his face was really pushing it.

Flash shrugged his shoulders. "Just that the place was destroyed a long time ago, so we're looking for some ruins, assuming that it hasn't been bombed in the last ten years."

That was a legitimate worry considering the tension in the region. The Kryptonian had doubts about it though, since if what he and Flash suspected were true then no one would be attempting to destroy what was left of the place. "Even if there isn't any ruins, the hideout could be underground or even inside of one of the mountains," he then pointed out. "All we have is a general area."

"And between us, we'll find it in no time and hit the—"

"I know, Flash, I know."

* * *

The mountain range was vast and rocky, grey stone partially covered in snow. It didn't help that a strong wind was blowing through, carrying a flurry of snow with it.

Despite that, Etemenanki was easy to find. A ruined stone face the size of a large house extended out of the side of the mountain, its walls rough and cracked, the years of erosion eating away at the man-made structure. It sat on a large plateau that jutted out from the mountain to form a cliff, leaving a large, snow covered area open to land upon. Due to being able to fly, Superman was able to spot smaller structures littering the mountain's face.

None of this was the reason why he and the Flash found the place.

On the plateau stood a man bathed in green light. He was an African-American and held himself ramrod straight as he stared at the structure. The Kryptonian had heard of such a man before through his connections at the Daily Planet, a man that claimed to be apart of a galactic police force that bore the power of green light.

Cape wiping wildly behind him, Superman floated down until he touched ground behind the green-glowing man, taking in the sight of a black skintight suit just as the Flash raced up the side of the mountain and came to an instant stop next to the Man of Steel.

"Hey, GL!" Flash greeted cheerily, waving a hand enthusiastically. "Fancy meeting you here!"

The man turned to look at them through bright green eyes, the emblem of a green lantern showing from his chest. "Flash? What are you doing here?"

A red blur shot from Superman's side and stopped right next to the green-glowing man, Flash resting an elbow on the man's shoulder, his other red-clad hand on his hip. "You know me, I'm always up for a road trip. Checking out the sights, making snow angels; I even brought Big Blue with me."

The black man tilted his head from Flash to look at Superman. "So I see."

Taking a step forward, the Kryptonian held out a hand to introduce himself. "Superman, pleasure to meet you."

The man took the offered hand without hesitation, gripping it tightly and giving it a hard shake. "John Stewart, Green Lantern of Sector 2814. I've heard a lot about you."

"Same here," Superman replied with a smile. "So what brings you out here, John?"

"Can't say I'm all that sure," the Green Lantern admitted. "Part of me thinks I'm on some kind of wild goose chase."

Flash looked at him before saying, "Let me guess, you ran into a bunch of ninjas stealing stuff and one of them told you about this Etemen-whatever place."

John jerked his head to the red-clad man. "How did you…" he started to ask before his features hardened. "Let me guess, you too?"

"Yeah, but here's the kicker," Flash replied, "we've got two different groups of ninjas. My town's had these guys from the Society of Assassins sneaking around it, but Supes over here has had a League of Assassins."

"League, huh?" John spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Haven't heard of them, but I have the Society. What were they stealing from you guys?"

Superman took that question. "Money, jewels, and the like. The same with Central City, I'm assuming."

"You assume right, Big Guy."

The Green Lantern's face twisted into a scowl. "Same in Detroit. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not liking this one bit."

"I see that I am not alone."

The three men whipped their heads to a side, Superman balling up his fists as John Stewart held up one fist, a ring on his middle finger glowing a brilliant green light. Flash simply dropped his relaxed stance and got firmer footing as he turned his entire body to face the source of the voice. To all of their amazement, an apparition rose from the ground, slowly filling in color once it stood before them. The thing that got Superman's attention was his green skin, broad face, and orange eyes. The blue cape and crossing red straps covered his upper body, joined by blue briefs and boots.

The green-skinned man held a hand, an attempt to pacify them. "I mean you no harm."

"Oh yeah?" John retorted. "Tell us who you are and what you're doing here."

Despite the dark-skinned man's harsh tone, the newcomer simply nodded his acquiescence, dropping his hand to his side. "I am J'onn J'onzz, formerly of the planet Mars. Your people have been referring to me as the Martian Manhunter."

The three of them stared at the man, the Flash being the one to break their silence. "Somebody pinch me, a real life Martian," he said in a daze. That quickly faded away as he added, "Ya know, I always thought Martians were supposed to be little green men, not Arnold Schwarzenegger clones."

"You're thinking of the Skirt Na," John responded.

"Wait, really? You mean there really are little green men from space?"

Everyone turned their attention to the red-clad man. "You do realize you've race a Kryptonian refuge once a year for the last couple of years, right?" the Green Lantern asked.

"Well, yeah. But he looks like us and all, so that hardly counts, but this other guy is actually green and alien-y looking and...and...I'm gonna be quiet now."

Feeling as if the conversation had gotten off track, Superman decided to get things back on track. "So I take it you have also had several robberies the last few weeks, with one of them telling you about Etemenanki?" he directed the question to the Martian.

J'onn nodded in answer. "That is correct, though I don't suppose he actually told me."

"Then how did you find out about his place?" Flash asked.

"I read his mind."

"Really? You can read minds?" the red-clad man exclaimed. "This I gotta try. Alright, tell me what I'm thinking about right now."

The Martian stared at him for a moment before saying, "You're not wearing any underwear."

Flash's mouth dropped open. "Holy crap, you can read minds!"

"Indeed."

"Flash, shut it," John ordered before directing his attention to the green-skinned man. "What else were you able to get from reading your guys' minds?"

"Startling very little," J'onn admitted. "I found it very alarming. It was as if the men were purposefully kept uninformed. All I was able to gather was that they belonged to a League of Assassins and served a man they only knew as 'Master.'"

John scowled again. "This just gets better and better. I can't wait to see what happens next."

What happened next turned out to be two women descending from the air and landing off to the right of the group of men. Both were very striking on their own, one a tall, dark-haired woman wearing nothing more than a blue, red, and gold bathing suit, the other a mask in the shape of a hawk with wings extending out from her back. "Greetings," the dark-haired woman said, placing her hands on her hips as she eyed each and everyone of them, her companion doing the same.

"I take it back, I really don't want to know," John muttered to himself.

"Speak for yourself," Flash quipped. "I think things have finally taken a turn for the better."

"Alright, guys," the winged-woman spoke up, taking a step towards them as a hand went up to her hip where a mean-looking mace hung from her belt. "You guys better explain what you're doing all the way out here."

"Or what?" John shot back, crossing his arms over his chest again.

"Or else my friend and I are gonna pound it out of you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Whoa, calm down," Superman interjected. Looking to the women, he then said, "I apologize for John; he doesn't take well to being threatened."

"Like I care," the winged-women retorted with derision. "You've got five seconds to tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

This was getting nowhere in a hurry. However, Superman wasn't too proud to cause further strife. "I'm Superman," he introduced, causing both women to widened their eyes in surprise. Holding a hand out, he indicated the others as he continued, "This is Flash, John Stewart, and J'onn J'onzz, and we're investigating this site."

"Funny place to be investigating," the woman replied.

"Well, we're a funny bunch of guys," Flash spoke, shrugging his shoulders. "Now it's your turn: what's a couple of babes like you doing in a place like this?"

The dark-haired woman narrowed her eyes. "Babes?" she repeated with an icy tone.

Seriously, did everything they say have to turn into a fight? "What Flash means," Superman said, attempting to prevent any bloodshed, "is that he wants to know your names."

The dark-haired woman tilted her head back regally, her hair flowing due to the wind. "I am Diana, Princess of—"

"That's Wonder Woman," the winged-women interrupted, causing her friend to look at her with a frown. "And I'm Hawkgirl."

"You know, I think I've heard of you two," Flash said, rubbing his chin with a hand. "Didn't you two fight some giant lizard thing in New York?"

"A hydra," Wonder Woman corrected. "And yes, we did."

"Cool."

"Which has nothing to do with why we're here," John said, irritation in his voice. "Let me guess, you two ran into a bunch of ninjas committing robberies and they told you about a place called Etemenanki."

Both women perked there heads up. "That's right," Wonder Woman said, her tone lightening up. "How would you know about that?"

Hawkgirl narrowed her eyes. "Let me guess, the same thing has happened to all of you."

Superman nodded. "There's two groups that we know of: the League of Assassins and the Society of Assassins. Which one did you run into?"

The women looked to each other before Hawkgirl said, "Neither. We encountered the Order of Assassins."

"_Three_ groups?" Flash exclaimed. "Alright, this is starting to get ridiculous."

"You said it," John agreed.

"It is highly unlikely at this time that this is random," J'onn J'onzz spoke up. "The same crimes in six different cities, all of whom report to the same place."

Green Lantern nodded. "A trap."

"Well then, how about we go in and spring it?" Hawkgirl suggested. "Someone wanted us all out here and the only way we can show him just how wrong he was to try is to ruin his plans."

"I'm game," Flash agreed. "Everyone wait here while I go—"

John immediately placed a hand on the red-clad man's shoulder. "Bad idea, Hot Shot. If we're going in there, we're going to be careful about this. I saw we break off into groups and search the place. That way we all have someone watching our back."

Superman nodded his agreement. "I agree. That just leaves—"

That's when he heard it. Tilting his head to a side, he focused on his hearing, trying to pick up that sound again. The wind was making it harder than it should've been, but the Kryptonian was certain he had heard something.

"Hey, Big Guy, what's going—" Flash began to ask.

"There's something else out there," Superman interrupted, fully turning around, walking towards the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he began to focus his vision, searching for something that stood out amongst the white and grey of the mountainside.

That was when he felt another presence next to him. "There is another person," J'onn spoke, confirming Superman suspicion. "I can sense them."

Superman nodded once more. He was picking up a voice now. "I can hear them too. And they're...cursing?"

* * *

Go climb that mountain, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Seriously, why did she listen Nimue? When she got off this God-forsaken rock, she was so going to put her boot up that crazy fortuneteller's ass.

Stabilizing herself against the icy rock face, the women pulled out a stake and hammer and began hammering the stake into the rock. Sharp rings filled the air until she was sure it was in. Pulling up a clasp, she attached it to the stake and ran a nylon rope through it, the same one that encircled her waist and dropped down the mountain.

She was Zatanna Zatara, illusionist extraordinaire, and all-around nice person. Well, normally she was when she wasn't instructed by some crotchety old woman to learn rock climbing on the fly and go in search of some mystical artifact. That was after Nimue said city living was making her lazy and she needed to prove her devotion, or some such crock. Zatanna was more than willing to call BS on that.

It wasn't as if that was the only thing putting her in a bad mood, she'd have you know. The cold ass wind, the slippery ice, and the fact that her formerly stylish ski coat was soaking from melted snow was really putting the dark-haired woman in a bad mood. It was really making her regret finding her father's magical book o' spells and deciding, "what the hell, I'll learn all this stuff, no sweat." Oh, if only she could go back in time and slap her younger self silly.

Well, to be fair, Zatanna didn't completely regret that decision. In fact, she was rather glad she liked it; it was just times like this really made her question herself. Oh what she wouldn't give right now for a roaring fire and hot chocolate. With extra sugar. And those marshmallows on top. Yeah, that sounded nice right about now.

Sure she had a good foothold, Zatanna stretched up, searching for another grip with a hand and finding one. Getting a hold of it, she pulled herself up, searching for a new foothold for her foot. The dark-haired woman was sure there were easier ways to do this, such as using one of those fancy-shmancy teleportation spells she had just learned about. She could've avoided this entire rock climbing excursion with that, but noooo, Nimue had insisted on her doing it the hard way. What did that old lady have against her anyways?

"I swear to God, when I get down from here, I'm beating Nimue with this magical rock, or whatever it is I have to get," she muttered, her hair whipping around her face. If it wasn't for the ski hat on her head, more hair would've been slapping her in the face.

"That doesn't sound very nice."

"Of course it isn't," Zatanna snapped as she reached for another handhold. "That's the entire...point…"

Wait a second, she was supposed to be alone up here. Heck, the locals that had led her to this mountain had refused to come within a thousand yards of it. So why was there another voice?

Stopping, Zatanna slowly turned her head around. Greeting her amongst the whiteness of the blizzard was a man in blue spandex, a red cape whipping around behind him. _Great body,_ she marveled for a moment, her blue eyes looking him up and down before she realized the man was floating—_floating_—in midair.

It was then she noticed the big red S on his chest. Oh...oh God, was this...was this that Superman guy she'd been hearing so much about? Holy crap. Hoooooly crap, what was he doing here?

Finding herself at a lack of words, Zatanna scrambled around for something, anything to say to the famous Metropolis hero. Seriously, the things she had heard about this guy doing were astounding, and that was saying something compared to the things she'd seen in the last three years.

So when the words, "Uh, hi?" came out of her mouth, the dark-haired woman wanted to bash her head against the rocky surface of the mountain. _Uh, hi? Is that _really _the best you can do?_

Superman, to his credit, didn't seem perturbed by this. "Hello there. Mind telling me what you're doing?"

Finally, her brain kicked in. "Well, I'm trying to get to the top of this mountain. Not too sure why, but that's what I'm doing."

The floating alien guy raised an eyebrow. "So you're climbing this mountain for no reason?"

"Well, when a girl needs fresh air…"

Superman smiled. "Where exactly are you headed?"

"Well, according to a...friend of mine, there's some ruins somewhere on this mountain. That's where I'm headed."

The dark-haired man was quiet for a moment before he said, "I don't think that's a good idea right now."

Zatanna blinked her eyes. What was that supposed to mean?

Apparently, the man noticed her confusion. "There seems to be a situation in the area you're heading. I highly recommend that you turn around and—"

Alright, her opinion of this guy was turning a full one-eighty. Like hell was she turning back after all the time she had spent climbing this rock. "Uhh, no. Ya see, I didn't just waste the last...three, four hours of my life. I'm sure as hell not going to do this over again. So, if you would, go somewhere else so I can finish this stupid climb."

Superman seemed taken back by that response. "I don't think you understand—"

"No, you don't understand," Zatanna interrupted. "I'm cold, I'm wet, and right now you're starting to annoy me. Now, you can either leave me alone or take me up the rest of the way. Choice is yours."

Incredibly, the floating man looked at her incredulously. What, hadn't he ever met a strong, independent girl before?

When the alien didn't make a move, the dark-haired woman rolled her eyes before doing perhaps one of the dumbest things she could do, and reached a hand out to him. "C'mon, be a good boy and help me up the mountain. I promise not to bite."

For a moment, Superman looked torn as to what to do, but eventually gave in, floating over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. In response, Zatanna placed her arm around his shoulders, and with her other hand freed herself from her safety rope. Safely in the arms of Superman, the dark-haired woman found herself pulling herself tightly against the man. Suddenly giving herself over to a flying guy who could suddenly drop her didn't sound like a good idea for some reason.

But it did tell her that Superman wasn't a guy that looked like pure muscle, but had them in spades. So he wasn't just some gym rat bench pressing for those incredible pecks. You learn something new everyday.

And then, the mountain began sliding downwards as she and Superman began flying upwards. Okay, this was weird feeling, having nothing beneath your feet and a growing distance between you and ground. Now, Zatanna didn't have anything against heights, but she did respect the necessity for having a safety harness; no matter how you framed it either, have two beefy arms as the only thing keeping you from plummeting to Splatsville was not a sane idea.

Thankfully, they passed over a cliff, to which Superman flew them towards and landed on. Feeling his arms leave her, Zatanna did the same, feeling much better now that she had solid ground on her feet. However, when she looked forward, she nearly jumped out of her boots at all the colorful individuals before her.

"Okay, what is this, a long john seminar?" she asked, looking from a glowing black guy to a woman wearing only...oh come on! How the hell was she standing out here with most of her body falling out of that? There was some sort of grave injustice going on here and it involved a supermodel bearing all in a freaking snowstorm.

"Another one," the glowing guy remarked with annoyance, something that caused Zatanna to frown. "Let me guess, you're here for the ninjas too."

"Ninjas? What the heck are you talking about." Looking at all the weird people's faces, she ended up focusing right on Superman. "You didn't say anything about ninjas," she said accusingly.

Superman looked helpless at that. "I tried to," he replied meekly.

That was when a red blur suddenly appeared at her side, a guy in full on red spandex with a lightning bolt on his chest standing next to her, wrapping one of his arms over her shoulders. It took her a moment to realize this was that fast guy from Central, the Flash.

"You're gonna have to forgive the Big Guy," the man said cheerily. "He has a weakness for strong women, if you catch my drift." She didn't, but just to help things along, she just nodded her head numbly. "So, how about you tell us about yourself? What's your name? Why are you here? Can I get your number?"

Glancing to the Flash before giving the others a look, Zatanna felt it was perhaps in her best interest to go along with these people. If Superman and the Flash were here, then they couldn't be all that bad. "I'm Zatanna Zatara," she introduced. "While I haven't heard of any ninjas or whatever, I'm just here to find an artifact that supposed to be around here."

"And your number?" the red-clad man pressed.

"Never to strange people."

"Get to know us and we won't be so strange."

"Speak for yourself," one of the women, the one with wings growing from her back, retorted. "I hate to tell ya this, but you picked the wrong time to come here."

"So you keep telling me," Zatanna responded. "Mind telling me what's going on?"

Flash shrugged next to her. "Not much, just a bunch of ninjas holing up inside this place, readying to spring a trap."

"Oh. Well if that's all it is…"

"What Flash here is trying to say," the black guy said, "is that we have a potentially dangerous situation here and this is no place for innocent bystanders. It'd be best if you went back down the mountain and tried again later."

Zatanna turned her head to look over the edge of the cliff. No way was she going to make this climb again. "Uhh, how about we don't do that, okay? I spent too much time getting up here and I'd rather not have to do it again." Seeing that none of them were approving of that, the dark-haired woman decided to try a different track. "How about this then? I help you all out with this trap thing of yours and if everything is still standing, you can help with my thing. Sound good?"

The black man seemed stunned by this before recovering. "I don't think you're understanding us: you can't be here. Go home."

Zatanna frowned. "Hey, I'm not just some helpless damsel. This girl has some tricks up her sleeve."

That earned her a smile from the supermodel. "If you insist, then who are we to refuse your aide?" she said in a rather amused voice. "We welcome you, Sister."

"I don't have a problem with it," the Flash added his support. "Especially with another pretty face around."

"Oh gee, thanks…" Zatanna deadpanned. It wasn't the first time she had thought this when she agreed to come out here and she got the feeling it wouldn't be the last, but she was beginning to wonder what the heck she was getting herself involved in.

For some reason, she got the feeling it was nothing good.

* * *

The Skirt Na is a reference to an old book series, Animorphs. Apparently in that series, this alien race is the one responsible for all of our alien abductions and what not. I couldn't help adding them in when little green men were mentioned.


	3. The Man In Black

The corridor was composed of neatly stacked stones, forming the walls, floor, and ceiling. It really was a marvel of engineering how each stone had been placed in perfect symmetry to the next one, forming a smooth surface. If it weren't for the task at hand, J'onn would have studied the craftsmanship in further detail.

White light bounced off the walls, causing the shadows to recede and then fight back to reclaim its lost territory. Due to the lack of light sources present, the woman with wings, Hawkgirl, held out her primary weapon, a mace, before her. Electricity crackled and sparked all over the mace's head, creating a makeshift light source for her and the Martian Manhunter.

As had been discussed previously, their larger group of seven had divided themselves into three groups, and entered the ruins of Etemenanki. Eventually, they had all separated, exploring their own hallways in search of the trap they knew lay in wait.

The only sounds J'onn could hear belonged to he and Hawkgirl, their footsteps echoing off the walls and the sounds of their own breathing adding a soft background beat. The two were all alone in these long abandoned halls, a sense of isolation present in the back of their minds.

That only described their present condition. One thing that J'onn was doing that he was sure the others weren't aware of was keeping track of their mental and emotional statuses. So far he wasn't receiving any spikes in their cognitive functions that indicated distress, anxiety, or fatigue, but if this place was what they believed it to be, that could change at a moment's notice.

Perhaps the most noticeable emotion he was sensing was coming from Hawkgirl, though that was to be expected due to their proximity. Her irritation was building due to their prolong searched for the ninjas they sought. It didn't take a psychic to know that she was clearly a woman of action and preferred direct measures.

As if to prove the Martian correct, Hawkgirl let out an annoyed sigh. "Okay, where are these guys?" she grumbled aloud. "We've been here for what, twenty minutes? They should've attacked us by now."

"It is in their nature to strike when it is most advantageous to them," J'onn replied calmly. "I highly suspect they are waiting for such a moment to arrive."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But would it hurt them to hurry it up? They did go through all the trouble of getting us all here."

The corridor soon opened up into a larger room, one that looked identical to the hallway. The light of Hawkgirl's mace filled the room, beating back at the darkness and forcing it to retreat to the exit on the opposite side of the chamber.

"Perhaps I should do a mind sweep?" the Martian suggested after a moment.

Hawkgirl slowed to a stop and looked at him. "Mind sweep?" she questioned.

J'onn nodded his affirmation. "I will search out their minds with my own to discover their location and numbers."

"You're a telepath?" she asked with surprise. "I, uhh, yeah, go ahead with that."

Closing his eyes, J'onn began spreading out his awareness, opening his eyelids a moment later as his eyes glowed a brilliant orange. His surroundings faded away, leaving only him and Hawkgirl standing next to him as the only people he was aware of. Searching, he quickly found the other two groups, each one still on their respective searches. Expanding further, J'onn searched for other minds, roaming the labyrinth at will.

And then he came to a stop, his eyes fading back to their normal hue. "That is odd," he said disturbed. "I did not locate any other minds aside from ours. It is as if we are the only ones here."

"Has that ever happened before?"

"No, never."

Hawkgirl scowled. "Something about this stinks. I can practically smell it."

"It seems we are at an impasse then," J'onn remarked.

"Well, the only way left is to keep going forward. We were brought here for a reason."

That was a good point, one that J'onn agreed with. Yet, perhaps their initial assumption was false and a more sinister motive was afoot. "I may be mistaken, but it is possible that we were lured her to distract us from other plans occurring in our respective cities."

The both of them paused at that, considering the possibility. "You know, I think you may be onto something," Hawkgirl agreed. "If you're right, then we've all been set up. C'mon let's find the others and—"

Suddenly, a stone door descended from the roof in front of the room's entrance, sealing it shut. The same occurred with the exit, its own door sliding in to place and trapping in the room.

"I guess we spoke too soon. Either that or you hit that nail on the head," Hawkgirl remarked as she looked at the sealed doorways. "I don't know about you, but I think its time we left."

J'onn nodded. "I concur, Hawk—"

A horrible whooshing sound filled the Martian's ears then, causing him to freeze in place, an uncontrollable shiver running up and down his spin. Before his eyes, flames suddenly erupted from different points on the walls, spreading over the stone surface like liquid fire. The white light of Hawkgirl's mace was drowned out by this new light source, replaced by the terrible combination of orange, red, and yellow.

However, the flames did not just stay on the walls as they began crawling along the ceiling and floor, encroaching quickly towards the two aliens. Already, J'onn could feel the heat lick at his skin and that caused his legs to go weak with fear. His mind was losing its serenity with every passing second, replaced with an intense panic he was entirely uncomfortable feeling. Before he knew it, he had collapsed to his knees, his arms hovering in front of his face as protection as he gave out a terrified cry.

"J'onn!" he faintly heard Hawkgirl cry out to him, her presence slipping away from him as his mind focused completely on the fires. Even the minds of the others were gone, leaving J'onn completely alone. As far as he was concerned, he was the only man in this encroaching inferno and he could see his doom rushing to meet him in a fiery holocaust.

And all he could force himself to do was scream.

* * *

Of all the people, Zatanna had to be stuck with, it had to be the glowing lantern guy that clearly didn't like her and Wonder Woman of all people. Don't get her wrong, the self-proclaimed Amazon seemed like a nice person, if not a little uptight, but she made every woman seem plain in comparison.

Of course, she had heard about the Amazon over the last few years, but due to her sudden change in professions, the magician pretty much only ran into people who spoke about Wonder Woman's beauty and that was about it. There was nothing about what she could do and very little about where she came from, just that she was a walking goddess with a rope waiting to tie people up—take that as you will. At the time, Zatanna just assumed it was one of those Hollywood starlet things where they were constantly looking good for the cameras and such. She could've lived with that. But after seeing Wonder Woman in person, the magician was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious about herself. It didn't help at all that Wonder Woman's outfit didn't leave much to the imagination nor revealed any sort of blemish. Damn it, she was a beautiful woman too!

So, to make sure she didn't dwell on her inadequacies, Zatanna did her best to scope out the hallway they were in, try to make it look like she belonged with these superhero-types in this stone corridor that was bathed in green light thanks to the Stewart guy's ring. In all honesty though, it wasn't that great of light. Stewart just beamed the light in front of them like a flashlight rather than light up the area around them. It was a poor choice to be frank, but the lantern guy didn't seem the least bit perturbed by it. Maybe those green eyes of his let him see in the dark better or something.

"So what is this artifact you seek, Sister?" Wonder Woman suddenly asked her. Taken back by the sudden address, Zatanna blinked her eyes owlishly before looking to the gal with the perfect cheekbones. Of course, she had to tilt her head back because the dark-haired woman came up to the Amazon's boobs and those weren't something she wanted to stare at lest she begin to compare them with hers...again.

"It's a magical artifact," Zatanna managed to say after a moment. "The trans-something or another; I don't know what it exactly does, but my teacher insisted I go find it."

"She did not tell you what its properties were?"

"Not a one. Nimue—that's my 'loving' teacher—likes to be vague and needlessly complicated. You should've been there when I asked her what her favorite cereal was. She's apparently a big Lucky Charms fan, but instead of flat out telling me, she made it all mystical sounding. The leprechaun was a big giveaway though."

Apparently, Wonder Woman was unfamiliar with what she was talking about, judging from the befuddled look on her face, but the Amazon nodded regardless. "I see. Perhaps she was testing you."

"No, she just wanted me to spend two hours scratching my head. I sure showed her."

"Fascinating," Stewart suddenly spoke up, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hate to interrupt your chit-chat, but we do have a job to do."

Both women looked at the man's back and frowned. Now that was just rude. Now things had gotten uncomfortable and that wasn't doing much for Zatanna's mood. She had a tired body, was stuck with less than ideal company—she should've gone with that Flash guy, at least she could put up with his flirting—and this supposedly lost ruined temple was stuffy. Not the dusty kind of stuffy either, it was more like hot stuffy.

And of course she was the most bundled-up person here, so the other two were comfortable while she was getting a bad case of B.O. underneath her parka. "Well, if our job can wait for two seconds, I need to take my coat off," she said to Stewart.

That caused the lantern guy to stop walking and turned around to look at her with a scowl. "Then take it off while we keep walking."

"I do agree, it does seem warm in here," Wonder Woman said, coming to the magician's defense.

However, that made Zatanna frown. "Since when do abandoned ruins in harsh mountain climates get warm?" she asked.

The three of them paused at that. "Now that you mention it," Stewart seemed to agree, "that doesn't seem to fit at all." His scowl deepened. "Someone else has been here and they've made modifications."

That was a troubling line of thinking, Zatanna had to admit. What was the point of coming to this place and installing a heater? That was nuts if you asked her. Glancing at her teammates, the magician came to the conclusion that they seemed content on staying in this spot for a moment. Guess she needed to take advantage of that.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna change," she declared. Closing her eyes, she began channeling the energies in her body, summoning the foreign forces she had only begun to recognize. Then she chanted out, "Egnahc sehtolc."

A bright light suddenly enveloped her, producing a warmth that was a heck of a lot more comfortable than the stuffy one she'd been stuck in. Then, just as soon as it appeared, it disappear. Gone was her parka, ski hat, pants, and boots and in their stead was her old stage costume, from her blouse and suit jacket to high-heeled shoes and fishnet stockings. To complete it all, she had her father's top hat perched on her head.

"There, much better," Zatanna said approvingly.

"You know magic?" Wonder Woman asked then, her face changing from one of surprise to enthusiasm.

Zatanna flashed her a smile. "Like I said, I've got a few tricks up my sleeves."

"What else can you do?" Stewart suddenly inquired, looking at her curiously. "Aside from changing your clothes, that is."

The dark-haired woman looked thoughtful at that. Now what she should do to show lantern guy that she was more than just a pretty face in fishnets? There were so many things...oh wait, she had the perfect spell. A sly smirk appearing on her face, Zatanna raised a hand up, pointing a finger straight up. Then, she moved that hand up to her head, where she took off her hat and held it out in front of her by its brim. Reaching in with her other hand, she then withdrew a long, black wand. After placing her hat back on her head, she then held the wand out between the three of them and began channeling her magical energies again. " Thgit pu."

The end of the wand began to glow then until it was impossible to see it through the white light. The entire hallway lit up, pushing away the darkness around them and outshining lantern guy's ring. In response, Wonder Woman gave her a congratulatory smile while Stewart frowned at her before letting his own green light fade away.

"Anymore requests?" Zatanna asked cheekily.

"Fine, you've proven your point," Stewart replied before turning away. "Let's just keep go...ing…"

The way he trailed off caused both women to frown at him again. "What is it?" the Amazon inquired.

"I think someone's done more than just filled this place with hot air," Stewart responded as he raised a hand up and pointed a finger towards the ceiling. Following his gesture, Zatanna soon spotted what the dark-skinned man was talking about.

"I highly doubt the people that built this place used modern surveillance cameras in their initial design."

* * *

"Remind me again why I can't just do a quick run-through of this place? This sneaking around is taking forever!"

Superman held back an aggrieved sigh. Ever since they parted with the rest of the group, Flash had been complaining non-stop. The Kryptonian half-suspected it was because no one would leave him alone with any of the women and he was passive-aggressively letting the poor person stuck with him how much he didn't like that arrangement.

As it turned out, that poor person was him.

"Because we don't know what sort of traps are here," Superman answered for what felt like the fifth time. This wasn't the first time Flash had asked this particular question and he doubted it would be the last.

"Well, can't you just use that see-through vision of yours to check?" the red-clad man suggested. "I mean, if you can find out where these 'traps' are, then you can tell me where they are and I can avoid them. Easy, right?"

The Man of Steel shook his head. "Believe me, I've tried. Unfortunately, whoever it was that built this place put trace amounts of lead in the walls. It's making it difficult to see much."

And that was the strange part. It wasn't like the entire wall was lined with lead. It was more like it was sprinkled in randomly, so when the Kryptonian used his x-ray vision, parts of it would be blacked out and the further he looked, the more he black he saw. It wasn't like some of the Lexcorp buildings that had been re-enforced with lead, but like the mineral had been part of the quarry the builders used to cut out the stone. And since the ceiling and floor was made of the same stones, for once he was limited to his immediate surroundings.

"Okay, so then you can fly up and down the halls at super speed. Problem solved," Flash suggested nonchalantly.

"I thought about that too, but there's a problem." At this he pointed a finger up to the ceiling, the light from his torch just allowing him to see the surveillance camera stared down at them. "Someone's watching us and can just as easily activate any of the booby traps."

"So?" the red-clad man questioned. "That's why I said super speed. He can't hit you if you go too fast."

"Whoever it was that brought us here would've considered that, don't you think?" Superman replied, continuing to walk down the corridor. "He brought both you and me together, so they must've thought they had something to overcome our speed."

Flash raised his hands up, placing them behind his head, arms extended out from either side of him. "Sounds flimsy to me, but we'll play it your way, Big Guy."

As much as Superman wanted to believe that, he knew his partner would start up his complaining again in a little bit. He didn't take offense to it because he just knew this was how Flash was. He was an inpatient guy in a world that just went too slow for him, something the Kryptonian did not envy the man for.

It was then, however, that Superman came to a stop, causing Flash to bump one of his bent arms against the Man of Steel's shoulder, which lead to him stopping. "Something up, Supes?"

Pointing a finger out in front of him, Superman responded, "Up ahead, I can see light."

"So we finally found our guys!" Flash exclaimed with excitement, whipping his head to stare straight ahead eagerly. "About time."

"All the same, let's be careful," the Kryptonian warned.

"Says the guy that can bounce tank shells off his pecs."

Ignoring the jab, Superman strode the remaining distance down the hall towards the light, soon finding himself in a large room. Just as he suspected, there were lit torches burning from stands at even intervals around the room. Some pieces of the ceiling had crumbled and fallen to the floor, laying in small pieces of debris, a sign of some instability with the room. Directly across from the entrance Superman used was a tall framework of crisscrossing metal bars with what looked like lamp heads placed at each intersecting juncture. It stood out in contrast to the ancient feel of the rest of the building.

Yet that wasn't the only thing that stood out in the room. From a dias in front of the metal framework stood a man dressed in black. A cloak rested on one of his shoulders, blocking that part of his body from sight, though that left the other side exposed. From what Superman could see of him, he definitely wore some sort of armor, black and sleek which covered his body. That stood out when compared to his exposed arm, which had a scale-like design instead, only interrupted by the gauntlet he wore with three flat, rectangular blades jutting out.

Yet, it was his head that drew the Kryptonian's attention. It was covered by a black helmet, only revealing his lower face and mouth. Similar rectangular extension stood up from the helmet, though he really couldn't see any reason what they were for.

Superman and the Flash stared at this man and his odd ensemble, regarding him with wariness. "I take it this is our bad guy," Flash spoke, his tone serious.

"Looks like," Superman agreed before he began to take a step forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

That caused Superman to stop. The masked man had spoken to him, his voice a deep rumble. There was something about it too that made the Kryptonian want to follow it, though why he wasn't sure.

The masked man then pointed to the floor. "There are pressure plates throughout the floor. Take one wrong step and—"

"It'll activate a booby trap," Flash interrupted. "We're soooo scared. You do realize you're talking to two guys that can easily dodge them, right? I doubt you have anything here that's fast enough to catch us."

"Of course," the man agreed, much to Superman and Flash's surprise. "But can you say the same for your friends?"

That got the Man of Steel's attention. "The traps aren't for us," he stated. "You rigged it so that we'd activate the trap and it'll attack the others."

"That still won't stop us," Flash shot back, his voice becoming heated. "The Big Guy here can fly, so we won't even have to walk over your floor. Go get him, Supes."

Well, when you were right, you were right, and Flash was definitely right. Taking his cue, Superman launched himself from the floor, flying straight at the masked man. The distance between them disappeared with every second, the air buffeting off the charging man's body, his cape flapping behind him; yet, the Kryptonian couldn't help but notice how calm his opponent seemed.

And then the man threw open his cloak with his covered arm, drawing the same arm back before swinging it forward, throwing a large red stone at the Man of Steel. Part of Superman was simply going to let it bounce off of him, but then he remembered the pressure plates in the floor. If the stone landed on one of the hidden pressure plates, it would activate one of the traps. Stopping in midair, the dark-haired man caught the stone, holding it in his hands.

It was then a weird feeling overcame him. It was hard to explain, but Superman felt as if something were wrong with this stone, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Whatever it was, he needed to get rid of it.

He wouldn't get the chance. "Thanks," the masked man said before he held up his other hand, a small device in it. More importantly, the device had a red button where his thumb rested on.

He then pressed the button.

Behind the man, lights suddenly flashed on from the lamp heads. The moment that happened, a gut-wrenching pain ripped through Superman's body, a scream tearing from his mouth as every cell in his body burned with pain. That wrong feeling he felt before exploded into something dreadfully familiar and in a microsecond he knew just what it was.

Kryptonite.

But how? Why was it red? Nothing made sense. All at once, Superman lost control of flight, dropping from the air and landing on the ground in a heap. The red kryptonite slipped from his grasp and went clattering on the floor. However, with each bounce the stone made against the floor, the sound it made seemed louder and louder. He even felt the vibrations through the ground with each and every bounce.

In fact, the world around him seemed to be slowing down. With each second that ticked by, Superman swore he could feel _everything_. The dust on the floor, the drag of air molecules against his skin, the firing of pain receptors as electric impulses raced up and down his nerves, the sounds of breathing coming from Flash and the masked man .

The sensations were overwhelming. In fact, because of the hypersensitivity, it took Superman an extra second to realize that he had landed on the floor, activating a pressure plate.

Oh dear God.

* * *

To Guest reviewer for Chapter 1: There is a purpose for that early bit of exposition. I hope you keep reading to find that out.


	4. Fallen Heroes

Nothing happened.

Due to his hearing, Superman could hear everything. That included the rush of air in and out of the lungs of the two other men in the room; that also included heartbeats, one calm and the other picking up its pace. Further still, he could hear footsteps off in the distance that sounded as if they were right next to his head, pounding over and over like an incessant headache. Nothing changed with the steady rhythm, no change in three heartbeats. In fact, he could make out what they were saying from the vibrations of their vocal cords to the wild waving of tongues and smacking of lips. Furthermore, he could detect the crackle of fire and the screams of…

Oh...oh God, something did happen.

And then he heard movement, the squeaking of creasing leather making the sharpest sound he had ever heard. Looking up, Superman saw the masked man moving his right arm, the one that had been holding the red Kryptonite, and used it to reach behind him. He then pulled it back out, a gun clasped in his hand.

"Wait…" the pained man gasped as he held a hand out. However, he froze as he looked directly at his hand, and more importantly through it. He could see his muscle and tendons sliding up and down each other, some flexings as others relaxed. Blood vessels pumped blood, the sensation of fluid flowing through them becoming readily apparently.

It was too much.

The drawn out cocking of a hammer brought Superman back to the room around him, just in time to see the masked man aiming the gun right at him. Fear flooded his body at the thought of whatever was in the bullet chamber of that weapon. There was no doubt that if it was a normal bullet, it would not pierce his indestructible skin; but the fact that he could feel so much changed everything. If that bullet were to hit him, it would send a cascade of neural responses simply to indicate that he had been touched by a foreign object and the force in which it touched him. Just the thought of those normal bodily actions frightened him as he would feel each and every impulse firing off, overwhelming his neural system.

The masked man pulled the trigger then, the ignition of gunpowder exploding in the chamber and launching the bullet out of the barrel. It sounded like a cannon blast right next to the Kryptonian's head despite it being several feet away. Superman could even see the bullet flying oh so slowly from the barrel, smoke and flames following it as the piece of lead inched its way towards the hero.

It was then Superman felt vibrations in his legs, a rapid, rhythmic pace that grew stronger with each beat. A whooshing sound reached his ears at roughly the same time, causing him to realize that Flash was racing towards him, activating more pressure plates as he ran. The frequency that was given off by each activated plate ring piercingly in his ears, making the dark-haired man want to claw his eardrums out of his skull.

A red shape entered the corner of his eyes, the red-clad man's form edging into Superman's peripheral vision. It was painstakingly slow, which stood at odds with how fast Flash really was. Even more disturbing was that he could see right through Flash's body, seeing all of his muscles contract and relax with every step he took. For a millisecond, Superman thought Flash was charging right at the masked man, but then took a turn, bending down as he reached out for the kryptonite. For a moment, relief flooded the Kryptonian's mind, only to realize that put Flash right in the path of the bullet.

It was then that the Man of Steel realized that he wasn't the bullet's target.

Yet, it seemed silly for a man with superspeed to be hit by a flying piece of lead. Superman thought Flash would get out of the way, just as he always had. However, he was helpless as he watched the bullet actually hit the self-proclaimed fastest man alive. It was like a Bigfoot sighting—you simply never saw it with your own eyes. However, it seemed Flash had a trick up his sleeve that not even Superman knew about. Due to the fact he could see it happen, he watched in fascination as Flash began to vibrate his entire body the instant the bullet made contact with his neck.

It was a brilliant solution and one Superman hadn't ever thought about. Faintly he wondered if he could do the same thing. Yet, just when he thought everything would be alright, he soon realized that a split second later, the bullet began to vibrate as well, triggered by Flash's own vibration.

The reaction was instantaneous. Suddenly, Flash was flung off his feet, flying over Superman's head as he screamed, the high-pitched cry echoing into the Man of Steel's ear canal and threatening to deafen him. Turning his head, Superman watched as the red-clad man collapsed onto the floor, his body spasming uncontrollably, causing him to writhe around on the ground.

Dear Lord, what was happening?

The loud crash of a footstep tore Superman's eyes away from his comrade and back to the masked man. He had stepped off the dais and was walking right up to the Man of Steel, looking down at him impassively. Alarmingly, Superman realized he wasn't looking through him like he had Flash. Was he wearing lead?

"A vibrating bullet," he suddenly said, though it sounded more like, "Aaaaaaaa viiiiiiiibraaaaaaaatiiiiiiing buuuuuulleeeeeeeet." Everything was about his voice was deeper and drawn out, though it had nothing to do with him. Due to his increased hearing, he was processing the sounds faster than they were made, creating that effect.

"As you can see," the man continued, "due to the Flash vibrating his body, it created an opposite, but equal reaction in the bullet to counteract it. However, simply canceling out the vibrations is only the beginning. Right now its sending back those vibrations into his spine, hyperexciting his nerves, which is causing him to seizure."

That wasn't the full story either. From the way Flash was spasming and crying, he was having multiple seizures at super speeds. Superman could only imagine the pain the red-clad man was going through.

"That answers one of your questions, does it not?" the masked man asked. Then, without waiting for a response, he said, "As for your next question, I'm sure you've realized the effects of the red kryptonite.

"If my research is correct, right now you're feeling indescribable pain, coupled with the increase in sensitivity of your nerve receptors. In short, you feel, hear, and see everything. Of course, you wouldn't be feeling any of that if it weren't for the sunlight."

_Sunlight?_ But they were inside a building, a mountain even. There was no way for there to be sunlight…

Unless…

Eyes widening, Superman turned his eyes to the lamps on the metal frame. "Sun Lamps," the masked man explained succinctly, impassive to the Man of Steel's plight. "Right about now, you're beginning to feel the very light rays absorbing into your skin, flooding your body with power."

As if his words were a cue, Superman immediately became aware of the beams of light touching him, sliding through his transparent skin. And just by realizing their presence, a searing pain raced through his body, causing the Kryptonian to cringe and drop the rest of his body down to the floor.

"I can only imagine the pain you're going through, but fortunately for you, I am a merciful man."

_Merciful? How can any of this be merciful?_ Tilting his head up, Superman tried to glare at the masked man, but only succeeded in feeling his face twist with the agony he felt. He couldn't help himself as he undoubtedly looked like a beaten dog.

This, however, gave him a front row seat as the masked man raised a leg up and then sent it flying down at him, his foot slamming into the Kryptonian's face. It didn't hurt, but the explosion of sensory response just from feeling the touch was overwhelming. A burst of chaotic pluses exploded within Superman, the electrical impulses firing throughout his head. It was too much to bare and yet, it felt as if it went on for an eternity. His brain couldn't take it. The Kryptonian wasn't sure how long he was trapped in this everlasting torrent of information overload, but eventually his brain shut down to stop it all, plunging him into merciful darkness.

* * *

"Does anyone get the feeling that we're going around in circles?" Zatanna complained. "Because I do."

Seriously, with the way every hallway, every turn, and every chamber they encountered looked the same, it felt as if they were just wandering down the same passageways they had been in since they entered this place. It was slowly eating away at the magician's patience, not to mention how increasingly bored she was becoming.

"The masonry work is very well done," Wonder Woman spoke up as she examined one of the walls. "Not a stone out of place or fitted wrong. I can see why you think it all appears to be the same."

Oh sure, try and explain her irrational grumblings. Thanks a lot, lady. Zatanna just gave the Amazon a sour look before looking elsewhere. She was getting crabby and she knew it. It also didn't help that her feet were starting to get sore. Why she thought going from her boots to high-heels was a good idea was starting to make her even more grouchy.

Wonder Woman, unfortunately, didn't seem content in letting the conversation drop either. "I'm not sure, but this place does remind me of some sort of temple. I wish I knew who it was that built it and why."

Well, that was actually something Zatanna could answer. For once, Nimue's insistence that she study was paying off. "As far as I know, it was some group of people from Mesopotamia—either the Babylonians or Sumerians, I forget which." She paused for a moment before her memory kicked in and reminded her about her research. "No, that's not right. It's Babel. They were the people of Babel and they built the Tower of Babel," she recited.

"So this was constructed for worship," the Amazon symmerized.

"Something like that. From what I could find, they were trying to build a very, very tall tower. They thought if they build a tower high enough, they could actually meet their gods. Probably why they decided to build it on a mountain to, so they could already use a high starting point as a base."

"Sound reasoning," Stewart said, entering the conversation for the first time in awhile. After Zatanna had shown him up, he had been quiet for the most part, speaking up only to bark an order. "But it would be a bad idea to. A mountain isn't the best foundation for such a structure; it doesn't offer a lot of stability. I get they'd want to start as high as they could, but cuts too many corners."

"Foolishness," Wonder Woman groused in her agreement, her original curiosity doing a one-eighty right into the dumpster. Oh great, now the dark-haired woman had two grouchy people with her, just perfect. _Way to go, Zee_. "They should have known better than to think they could reach the Pantheon of Gods. Zeus would have struck them down for such impudence."

Zatanna got the feeling that Greek Girl was confusing her gods for everyone's. Then again, maybe all of the ancient people worshiped the same gods. She wasn't that familiar with ancient religions, but it was also possible there were different groups too. The dark-haired woman didn't really have the energy in her to rebut the statement though, so she didn't even bother.

Stewart, however, seemed to think differently. "You can't blame them for trying. Everyone wants to be closer to a higher power, especially one that controls their lives. They just didn't realize how much trouble they'd get in for doing it."

"They should have known better," Wonder Woman proclaimed, still charged up. "It is not the place of mortals to demand an audience with those they worship. All mortals must accept their station in life."

"Only if your god is petty," Stewart muttered.

That caused the Amazon to glare at him. "What was that?"

"That was him saying that this isn't the place for a theological discussion," Zatanna immediately stepped in, though she rather not. She got the feeling these two were about to butt heads in a more physical manner pretty quickly. "So how about we talk about something else?"

"A good idea," the Lantern guy agreed, much to the dark-haired woman's relief. Wonder Woman didn't look ready to let it go though, and she was practically on the verge of saying as much when Stewart continued, "Do you know what else they intended to do with this place?"

Zatanna shook her head, even though Stewart couldn't see it, him walking in front of her and all. "Not really. According to the story I read, they supposedly finished the tower, only for their gods to tear it down and force them from these lands. They supposedly cursed them to be unable to understand each other. That's why we have all sorts of people speaking different languages."

"A fitting punishment," Wonder Woman declared, nodding her agreement.

Thankfully Lantern guy ignored her. Really, bickering in this place was low on the magician's list of things to do at the moment. Yet, she couldn't resist rolling her eyes. It was because of that that she nearly ran Lantern guy over as he had suddenly stopped and kneel down.

"Whoooa!" Zatanna cried out, flinging her arms out to get her balance. Thankfully Wonder Woman lent a steadying hand.

"Watch where you're going," Stewart snapped at her over his shoulder before returning his attention to whatever it was that made him stop. In fact, he was staring intently at the floor. Then, as if Zatanna hadn't almost bowled over him, he said calmly, "I think we can say we're not going around in circles. There's footprints in the dust here."

"Can you tell whose?" Wonder Woman inquired.

"Only that they wear big shoes. I'd think it's safe to say it wasn't a woman, so its either Superman and Flash, or two of the people we're after."

The Amazon kneeled down as well to assess the footprints, nodding after a moment. "I believe you're right."

"Well then, let's go catch up with them and…" Zatanna spoke before she trailed off. There, up ahead of them, she could see a bright light. Not a pinpoint, but like the entire hall was bathed in it. "Umm, guys? I think we found something."

Stewart and Wonder Woman both looked up and saw the light. "It's go-time, people," the Lantern said, a green aura appearing around him.

The three of them began running down the hall then, eyes trained on the light until they entered a large room. Compared to the rest of this tower, the room was brightly light lit, but that was due to a large structure of crisscrossing metal bars, bright lamps hanging from it.

More alarming though, was a man in black standing in the middle of the place, looming over the fallen forms of Superman and Flash, the latter of which was convulsing all over the floor. The man himself was standing with his side towards the trio, his head turned to regard them beneath a weird-looking helmet that covered most of his face.

"Hera," Wonder Woman breathed out before her face hardened, staring down the man in black. "What have you done here?" she demanded.

The man remained quiet before he rumbled out, "The same that I will do to you."

It was a goad, Zatanna knew that much. Wonder Woman, however, didn't take to it well and launched herself off the floor, charging through the air like a guided missile at him. The Amazon closed in on the man within seconds, drawing her right fist back and throwing it forward.

In response, the man in black jerked backwards, allowing Wonder Woman's fist to fly harmlessly in front of him. He then shot up his own right arm and pushed it up against the Amazon's outstretched one, a preemptive block. With his other hand, he shot it forward, slapping his palm down on the back of the flying woman's neck. Pushing with that same arm, the man in black forced Wonder Woman to pass right by him, the Amazon suddenly dropping from the air and crashing front first into the ground. She skidded several feet away, before coming to a stop.

* * *

Diana groaned as she pushed herself up. She wasn't doing that from pain mind you, more of a reprimand. She had been incited to act before thinking and was promptly treated like a bull charging at a matador. Aside from being pushed aside, she hadn't been harmed, which pricked her pride; it reminded her of her early training exercises on Themyscira when her teacher would merely tap her body to indicate that she'd been hit.

Getting back onto her feet, Diana looked back up at her black-clad opponent. He had made a mistake in thinking such a weak move would finish her off and she would let him know just how serious it was. Unfortunately, her eyes were met with a green-plated fist, which slammed into her face, sending her flying off her feet and into a wall.

Air rushing out of her lungs, the Amazon sucked in as much air as she could as she dropped back down onto her feet, face staring straight ahead at a new combatant, one dressed much like the man in black, but only in green.

So there were more fighters here. Bring them on.

"Wonder Woman, I presume?" the green fighter asked, cracking his knuckles.

"You presume right," Diana replied as she shifted into an offensive stance, slowly creeping forward. Let him attack and she would show him what a proper counter attack was.

He did not disappoint. The green fighter charged at her, throwing a punch. Shooting a hand up, she caught the fist and forced it aside, slamming her own fist into the man's face. As his head snapped back, Diana relinquished her hold on her opponent and balled up that hand, embedding it into his stomach. Grabbing onto his cloak, she then spun around, swinging him through the air and sent the man flying into the same wall she herself had crashed into.

Her opponent dropped to the floor limply, to which the Amazon gave a satisfied smirk. That smirk didn't disappear when the green fighter slowly began pushing himself back up, glaring at her once he was back on her feet. "Care for a Round Two?" she asked whimsically.

The fighter charged.

* * *

Stewart shot both of his arms up then, holding his ring hand out in front of him while his other hand gripped onto his wrist. A bright green glow appeared, hovering dangerously in front of his ring. "What the hell did you do?!" he shouted.

Wonder Woman hadn't stood up since she had collapsed to the floor. She had just gone limp the moment she hit the stone ground. Zatanna thought that perhaps she'd been knocked out, but tossed that notion aside when she remembered all the stories about how strong she was. No way should a hit on the noggin knock her out.

In response, the man in black simply raised both of his hands, up, grabbing onto something around his middle finger. Drawing it up, he revealed a thin, black band with a needle point extending from it, which he placed into a pouch on his belt. "I highly encourage you worry about yourself," the black-clad man warned.

Stewart glared at him before he said softly to Zatanna, "I'll distract him while you get into his blind spot. While he's completely focused on me, hit him hard."

The dark-haired woman nodded her affirmation and slowly began stepping away from Stewart. The man in black didn't seem all that concerned with her, which she was happy and annoyed about. It was like he didn't really care much about her. Way to crush a girl's self-esteem, why don't ya?

Stewart suddenly let out a war cry and fired a beam of green light from his ring. The man in black immediately shot to a side, dodging the beam as it flew by and into a wall. Surprisingly, it didn't blow up like Zatanna expected, merely singeing the wall where it made contact.

Stewart fired a few more blasts, each of which was dodged as the man bobbed, weaved, and duck each blast. Lantern kept up his barrage, firing one beam after another, only to have each attack fly harmlessly by.

That was when the man in black countered, swinging an arm out and sending several ninja stars spinning through the air. In response, Stewart shot another beam, this one stopping a foot in front of him and suddenly expanding out in all directions, forming a smooth green shield. The stars impacted into the shield a moment later, sticking out of it harmlessly.

Well, if mystery guy wasn't completely focused on Stewart, then Zatanna wasn't sure what else it would take. Alright, what could she use against this guy? A fireball? Freeze him? There was some debris on the floor, maybe she could levitate some and throw them at him. There was just so many choices she could do, yet she had to be practical about this. Magic wasn't for using willy-nilly and all. Eyes searching the room, the dark-haired woman soon found herself looking at the large metal frame with the lamps attached to it. Hmm, perhaps she could pull that apart and make a cage out of it. Yeah, she could trap him then. _Brilliant, Zee!_

However, her plan was interrupted before it could even begin. A loud explosion jolted her out of her planning in time to see a large cloud of yellow smoke appear on the opposite side of the room. That was when another cloud of smoke erupted out of thin air, closer to her this time, and then followed by another in a different part of the room. Zatanna couldn't help but notice the clouds were between Stewart and the man in black.

And then, one blew up right at Stewart's feet, enveloping him in the smoke. Eyes glued on the sight, Zatanna soon heard coughing from the Lantern, much to her concern.

It took a bit, but eventually the smoke dissipated, revealing Stewart covering his face with his hand, violently coughing up a lung. His shield was gone and he seemed much more concerned with getting clean air than keeping himself guarded.

"Hey, you alright?!" Zatanna called out.

"Yeah," Stewart responded, his coughing slowly calming down. Looking around, he soon spotted her. "I'm—"

He stopped suddenly. "Wha...how…" he sputtered out before he pointed his ring right at her, much to the magician's alarm. "Stay...stay away!" he cried out, slowly taking steps backwards as if he were trying to put as much distance between him and her as possible.

"Stewart? John?" Zatanna shouted back, taking a step towards him, holding what she thought was a comforting hand towards him. "What's—"

She didn't get a chance to finish as Stewart's ring glowed brightly, causing the magician to stop cold in her tracks. "I said stay away!" he screamed as the light grew brighter.

And then, the light flashed and disappeared. Half of Zatanna expected one of those green blasts to come hurling at her, but she didn't see anything. If anything, Stewart looked just as confused as she did, but unlike her, he began to panic even more. "No, not now; c'mon, work," he begged the ring, shaking his ring hand as if it would turn the ring back on.

"What the hell is going on here?" the magician said aloud, more to herself than anything. Why was Stewart acting that way? And why did it seem like his ring wasn't working? And...and…

Her eyes widened. Behind Stewart's panicked formed was the man in black, standing as still as a statue. He seemed to be watching the Lantern guy passively, like he expected this to happen. The man then reached out and touched Stewart's shoulder, causing him to whip around and let out a blood-curling scream.

That didn't last very long as the man in black lunged forward. Hand clasping onto Stewart's face, he pushed the dark-skinned man backwards, throwing off his balance and falling over. The man in black kneeled down with the falling Lantern until he slammed the back of Stewart's head against the floor, knocking him out and ending his screaming.

Which just left Zatanna as the last one standing. Oh crap, oh crap, this was not how she expected things to go. She...she needed to attack while this guy was still focused on Stewart. Head jerking to a side, she saw the debris lying nearby and acted, gathering her magical energies. Thrusting her hands in front of her, she chanted, "Skcor ylf," watching as a violet hue glowed around the rubble. Swinging her arms towards the man in black, she looked on as the broken pieces of stone launched themselves off the floor and flew right at her opponent. It was like seeing a swarm of misshapen bowling balls rocketing through the air.

And the man in black didn't see them coming until they were right on top of him. He noticed them just as they were about to hit him, giving only enough time to get his arms up to protect his head. That proved useless as the debris slammed into his body, battering him in a storm of stone. One of the passing rocks even slipped through his raised arms hit him in the head, knocking his helmet clear off and sending it careening across the room as his body snapped to a side.

_Ha! I can do this!_ Zatanna's eyes lit up at her success. She could take this guy, no problem! With a smirk growing on her face, she prepared to ensnare this guy in a binding spell. That way she could figure out what the hell he did to everyone here and try to reverse it. _Hang on everyone, I'll have you fixed up in no time!_

And then the man turned his head to face her. Whatever thoughts that had been running in the magician's head vanished just as quickly as they had arrived. Gone was the triumphant look on her face as her eyes widened, mouth dropping open. She...she knew that face, those eyes, the black shellacked hair. But...it couldn't be. It was impossible! This couldn't be happening!

Yet, there he was, standing there as if to refute everything she had ever known. Her magical energies drained away from her as Zatanna lost control of them, her hands beginning to tremble as a name slipped through her lips.

"Bruce?"


	5. Return to the Cave

Zatanna was in the remains of a building, just recently demolished by a raging fire. Piles of rubble surrounded her, the looming face of a standing wall behind her. She was kneeling on the broken ground, a half-destroyed cowl lying across her lap, staring back at her with its remaining eye.

That had been the last time she had seen anything of Bruce Wayne. Yet, in this abandoned tower on the other side of the planet, there he stood in black armor, a stone-cold expression his face, and his eyes boring into hers like blue fire.

Everything in the dark-haired woman's mind screamed at her that this couldn't be real, that she had found what was left of him at that burnt husk of a warehouse. That he could not be standing in front of her like this, completely and utterly alive.

Yet, her heart pounded in her chest and logic was thrown out the window. That was Bruce, it had to be. He was alive, living and breathing, and not...and not…

"Is that you, Bruce?" she asked breathlessly, wishing, begging for him to tell her that it was him, that he was returning to her. "It is, isn't it? Please, say something!"

That was when she heard a sharp tapping sound. Tearing her eyes away from Bruce, she looked in time to see a small marble rolling on the ground towards her. It came to a stop mere inches away from her feet and it took Zatanna an extra moment to figure out what it was.

White smoke suddenly shot out of the marble, enveloping her in a suffocating cloud. Hands shooting up to her face, Zatanna spun away from the smoke pellet, coughing harshly. Images flashed before her eyes, ones of Bruce standing in front of her holding a small canister in his hand. The smell of chloroform assaulted her senses, causing her mind to panic.

_No! Not again!_

Suddenly, an arm shot between her own arms and wrapped around her neck, jerking her head up as a hand pressed against the back of her skull. Eyes opening wide, Zatanna grabbed onto Bruce's bigger arm and tried to pull it away in vain, gagging as his forearm squeezed down on her throat.

Hot air began to caressed her ear as she sensed a mouth hovering mere inches away from it. "Sleep, Witch," she heard Bruce whisper to her in his mind numbing voice. Yet, this sounded harsher than anything she had ever heard from him.

_Witch?_ Why would Bruce call her that? Why was he doing this? Zatanna gagged harder as she fought for air. Something was wrong, this wasn't supposed to be happening, not from Bruce, not from...

And then everything faded into darkness.

* * *

There was a pounding in her head. It was steady, rhythmic even. That said, it was a pain in the neck and all Zatanna wanted to do was sleep.

She was quite familiar with migraines and this one was no different. Right now that pesky headache needed to take a hike and come back never. Couldn't it see that she was in no mood to play with it? Why wouldn't it go awaaaaay?

Unfortunately, the more aware of the pounding she became, the more awake she became, which brought to her a flood of memories and intense emotions. The dark-haired woman could still see it, Bruce, standing there, and yet, not. It was mind-boggling to her. Why had he treated her that way? Why was it that he didn't seem to recognize her? They'd been very close before he had di...disappeared.

And that just made her head hurt even worse.

Something was wrong here. Well, maybe she just wanted to see something wrong here. It wasn't the first time Bruce had knocked her out, but this was definitely rougher than the last time. At least he was attempting to protect her the last time, or at least that's what Zatanna thought when he gassed her.

_Sleep, Witch._

Those words bounced around Zatanna's head with growing frequency. The tone was all wrong and that name. What happened to Zana? It was just another thing that wasn't making sense and...and…

Oh for crying out loud, would that head-pounding stop for one freaking second?! She was trying to think here and the fact that it was getting louder was not helping matters!

Wait, louder?

A groan escaped Zatanna's lips then as she finally decided to open her eyes. She had to squeeze them shut immediately due to a bright light somewhere above her head. Why was there a bright light? Seemed totally uncalled for if you asked her.

It took a bit, but eventually the dark-haired woman managed to get her eyes open. She found herself lying on a rather uncomfortable piece of stone flooring, which just emphasised that she was in a broken-down ruin in the middle of nowhere. Groaning again, Zatanna pushed her torso up and turned her head away from the wall she'd been facing.

Behind her, Zatanna caught sight of the others, each one still lying on the floor much like herself. Unlike her though, none of them had gotten up or were moving, save for that Flash guy. He was still convulsing as he was when she, Stewart, and Wonder Woman arrived.

And then that pounding sound was made again.

Turning her head this way and that, Zatanna tried to figure out what that sound was and where it was coming from. She soon found herself staring at one of the walls when she heard it again, louder and closer this time. The next thing she knew, the wall suddenly exploded out, pieces of stone and rubble flying all over the place.

Instinctively, the magician's raised an arm up to protect her head, twisting around so she could duck down to the floor. The clattering of stone-on-stone filled her ears, thankfully none of it close to her. Chancing a look, Zatanna pushed herself back up, finding the newly created debris scattered about the room; thankfully none of it had hit any of the others.

Turning her head to the destroyed wall, part of the magician thought there was another threat coming to take advantage of this piss-poor situation. Imagine her relief when she saw Hawkgirl assisting the Martian guy into the room, her mace in one hand and her arm wrapped around the other alien's back. In fact, the Martian was slumped over the smaller woman, his own arm draped over her shoulders and his feet doing little much in helping them move.

Hawkgirl half-stumbled, half-dragged herself into the room, stopping when she got a good look at her surroundings. "What happened here?" she gasped softly.

_Oh good, someone else conscious I can talk to._ Well, as much as Zatanna wanted to keep lying around on this oh-so-comfortable floor, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Forcing herself onto her feet, she absently dusted herself off as she began to walk towards her last two standing comrade.

These actions instantly drew the winged woman's attention to her. "You, what happened here?" she demanded.

"Nothing good," Zatanna sighed as she came to a stop near the aliens. "The Lantern guy, Wonder Woman, and I were looking for Superman and Red over there and found them like this. They'd been attacked by someone and that guy took the three of us down."

"So there _was_ someone here," Hawkgirl muttered before glancing to the Martian Manhunter. "You get that, J'onn?"

"Yes," J'onn answered weakly.

That alarmed Zatanna. "What happened to you two?"

"Walked right into a trap," Hawkgirl spat out angrily. "J'onn and I were sealed into a room that set itself on fire. Apparently Martians can't stand fire, so J'onn collapsed immediately."

Taking a look at the two, Zatanna could say that they both looked a bit...singed. Other than that, they weren't any worse for wear. "Looks like you managed to get out."

"Barely. Right after the room lit up, the ceiling started dropping on us—as if being burned alive wasn't enough. I had to destroy a wall so the two of us could get out."

"That doesn't seem too difficult for you," the magician remarked as she looked at the nearby hole in the wall.

Hawkgirl snorted. "The walls were reinforced with something a lot more durable than normal stone. Metal too, for that matter. I'm telling you, this place was practically set up to kill everyone of us."

A sinking feeling filled the dark-haired woman's gut. Was that why Bruce was here? To _kill_ them all? That...that just seemed sacrilegious to her. Sure, he was the kind of guy to break bones and maim appendages, but actually end a life? It couldn't be; yet, here they were.

An uncomfortable silence fell on the women, Zatanna lost in her thoughts while Hawkgirl looked out towards the others. Eventually, the winged woman asked, "What happened to all of them?"

That shook Zatanna out of her concerning thoughts; she felt grateful for that. "I'm not sure about Superman and Flash, but when Wonder Woman went to attack...the man here, he just touched her and she fell down. She's been like that ever since."

Hawkgirl gave her a disbelieving look. "He...just touched her?"

"That's right."

"The lady that dove headfirst into the gullet of a hydra and ripped apart its insides and she was taken down by a touch?"

Okay, what was so hard to believe about this? Hydra-smydra, she knew what she saw. No matter what Wings here said in her defense, Miss Amazon over there dropped like a royal sack of taters when Bruce tapped her. Ugh, this was not the time to try one-upping each other.

"You can ask her what happen when she wakes up," the dark-haired woman settled on saying. No use getting into a spat when there were clearly more important matters. Though, she did sneak a peek at the fallen Amazon and...nope, still hadn't moved an inch. She did glisten with sweat though, which didn't make all that much sense at the moment.

Hawkgirl seemed willing to drop that subject too. "And Lantern?"

Now that had been really bizarre. One moment he was being a hardass, the next he was screaming like a bi...child. Yeah, let's go with that; take the higher road and be diplomatic. Turning her attention to Stewart, Zatanna had to frown at what she saw. A yellow mist had gathered around him between the time she'd been unconscious and now, which she was sure hadn't been there before. Something about it just felt wrong. "I'm...not sure," she settled for. "He tried fighting the man in black and—"

"Man in black?"

"Oh right, the guy that was here and attacked us all. Didn't I tell you about him?"

"You didn't say anything about what he was wearing."

Zatanna wasn't sure how that was relevant and decided—again—to take the high road. Sometimes it sucked being the only mature person around. "Anyways, as you can tell, Stewart didn't fare any better. The man in black threw a bunch of smoke pellets and the next thing I know, he's screaming and panicking. He only stopped when our attacker knocked him out. Now...well, you can see that yellow cloud around him. It wasn't there before he choked me out so I'm guessing it was put there afterwards."

"Must be something in the smoke," the winged woman murmured more to herself. "Sounds like all of you had a rough time too."

"So now what? Do we take them to a hospital or something? I'm pretty sure they need some sort of medical attention."

"No!" J'onn suddenly spoke, causing both women to jerk their heads towards him. He started straightening out his body, as if his strength was finally returning to him. He didn't pull away from Hawkgirl though, still using her as a crutch. "That would be an unwise course of action," he said, his voice stronger than earlier, but still fatigued. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to arrange this. If we were to seek medical attention—"

"Then we'd alert this man in black to the fact we're still alive and he'd try to finish us off," Hawkgirl finished for him. "So then what? We can't stay here and we have to undo...whatever is wrong with everyone."

Now wasn't that a quandary? They needed help but couldn't go to the usual sources. So now they had to find a place with adequate enough medical equipment in a place that no one would think to look for them. Oh yeah, there were certainly a _ton_ of those places around…

And then, Zatanna had a thought and she was pretty sure someone wasn't going to like it.

"I know of a place we can go," she said hesitantly, gaining the attention of Hawkgirl and J'onn. "It should have most of what we need and no one knows of its location—aside from me that is."

"That's convenient," Hawkgirl remarked, her face unreadable, though Zatanna was thinking that had more to do with that bird mask of hers. "So how do you plan on getting us there?"

"Well, I was thinking about clicking my heels three times and say 'There's no place like home,' but I think that'd be too ostentatious," Zatanna responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. It looked like she was going to have to show a little more of what she could do. Closing her eyes, she began to focus her magical energies, gathering a heck of a lot more than she had been. This spell was going to take quite a bit out of her, mainly because she hadn't tried traveling so far a distance before, so she was taking extra precautions. When she was ready, she chanted, "Ekat su lla ot eht evac!"

Even with her eyes closed, Zatanna watched as the darkness behind her eyelids went bright white and felt the pulling of her body in every which direction. It was like she was being stretched in a hundred different ways, something that felt like momentum pulling her forward as what she could best describe as an anchor yanked her back. Then there was the feeling of hands grabbing onto her arms and legs, determined to throw her off course, willing her to go in a direction not of her own.

And then it was gone. Opening her eyes, the chamber they had been in was long gone, instead replaced by pitched black.

For a moment, Zatanna thought she whisked them to the wrong place; she had been expecting to see some light after all. It took her a moment to remember that the last time she'd been here she had turned off every light and power source, so that would explain the dark.

When high-pitched chirping reached her ears, the magician knew she had taken them to the right place.

"Uhh, Zatanna?" Hawkgirl called out to her. "Where the hell are we?"

"Don't move!" Zatanna immediately shouted back, shooting a hand out to signal for the two aliens to stop. That was a futile gesture considering that her guests couldn't see her unless they had some kickass night vision. "I'll turn on some lights and everything will be alright. Just stay where you are."

"And why should I do that?" the winged woman snapped back, clearly not happy about the situation.

"Because you might run into something you might not want to—like a cliff." Okay, one annoying bird lady somewhat dealt with, now all she had to do was find the stairs. Now where were...oh to hell with it. She was making her own light.

Summoning her wand, she lit the end up again, the dark receding enough for her to see. She was then promptly hit by a wave of fatigue, which nearly made her drop her wand. Oh, looked like she hit her limit. Well, that was really inconvenient. Now was not the time for that.

Slowly, Zatanna turned around and began walking, looking for something that looked familiar to her. "Stairs, stairs, where are the stairs..." she muttered to herself. As luck would have it, she found the bottom step and nearly jumped for joy. Finally, something was going her way. Mounting the stairs, she climb them until she found the switches she sought.

Alright, so which ones turned on the place? The last time she was here, she just hit every one of the switches to make sure they were all off. Well, if it worked then, perhaps hitting them all would turn everything on. Using that logic, Zatanna began flicking each switch to its opposite position.

Her faith was rewarded as she began hearing the sounds of generators powering up, dim lights suddenly flashing on and growing stronger. Looking down the stairs, Zatanna watched as the familiar sight of a giant computer screen appeared, along with raised platforms, tables, and a training dojo.

After three long years, Zatanna Zatara was back in the Batcave.

However, along with the familiar scenes, the dark-haired woman was struck by the untidiness of the place, specifically the amount of bat guano that was splattered on the floor and...well, everything. There was even rust on the supercomputer. Just the sight of it made an ache appear in her heart.

As the lights grew stronger, she was better able to see the fallen heroes, scattered about the cave floor in the same poses they had been back at the tower. Only Hawkgirl and J'onn were able to look around in awe at their surroundings.

"What is this place?" Hawkgirl breathed out.

Walking down the steps, letting the illumination spell around her wand fade out, Zatanna motioned for the two for them to follow her. The magician led them to a set of metal steps, the three of them climbing until they reached the platform on top.

The moment Zatanna reached the top, she came to a stop. Before her, there were two people, one of which she recognized as herself, the other Bruce in full Batman-regalia. He had his back to her as she spoke at him soundlessly. Then, he turned around, his mouth moving just as muted as hers. And then he raised that blasted cannister in his hand and sprayed her in the face. Chloroform assaulted the dark-haired woman's senses once more, and she swallowed deeply.

"Hey, something wrong?"

Hawkgirl's voice snapped Zatanna out of her reverie, the images of her and Bruce fading away. Shaking her head, she responded, "No, nothing. Just bad memories."

Stepping out of the way, she allowed Hawkgirl and J'onn to step onto the Medbay platform. Out of the entire place, this wasn't covered with bat droppings, mostly because of the canopy above it. In order to ensure a clean environment, Bruce and Alfred had erected it to prevent the mess that was in the rest of the cave.

However, that was when Zatanna realized a slight problem. There were two metal beds here and they had four very unconscious people with them, along with a fifth injured person in the Martian. How was this going to work?

"Well, this is better than nothing," Hawkgirl remarked as she assisted J'onn to the closest bed. "You two stay here while I get the others here. They'd be better off here than laying in crap."

Nodding their acknowledgement, Zatanna and J'onn watched the winged woman fly off. The dark-haired woman was rather grateful to be excluded from transport duty. It made sense since she probably would've struggled moving one of those people by herself, much less four—not to mention how utterly spent she felt. She was relatively new to magic and hadn't quite built up her abilities yet, so something like a long-distance transportation spell really sapped her reserves. She was getting better though; used to, she had trouble going to the next room much less crossing over a continent and a half and an entire ocean.

"You seemed troubled," the Martian suddenly spoke, interrupting the magician's musings. Turning her head to regard him, she was wondering what she could say to him when he beat her to the punch. "I can sense this place brings back many memories to you."

Zatanna found herself swallowing deeply again. "Yeah, you could say that." Unconsciously, her thoughts went to Bruce and the tower.

J'onn's face hardened. "Your thoughts seemed to be focused on someone."

Sirens went off in Zatanna's head. Oh great, this guy was a mind reader! Oh crap, oh crap, didn't this guy respect secret identities? Or was she the only person that did that in this superhero community?

Seeing the alarm on her face, the Martian held a hand up to calm her. "I apologize, I do not mean to pry. It is difficult to block out such strong emotions."

"I...see…" she responded weakly.

"If you do not wish to speak of it, we do not have to."

About that time, Hawkgirl reappeared, struggling to carry a convulsing Flash. "Uhh, a little help here?"

Immediately, J'onn shot up from his seat. "Put him down! Now!"

Shocked, Hawkgirl almost dropped the Flash, but managed to keep a tight grip. Lowering herself down to the platform, she put the red-clad man on the floor and pressed her hands on him to at least keep him in one place. "You have any idea what's going on with him?"

With a stumble in his step, the Martian closed the distance between them. "He is suffering from seizures," he explained, kneeling down next to the two. "At an incredible rate as well. If we don't do something for him, I'm afraid we will lose him."

Alarm appeared on both Hawkgirl and Zatanna's faces. "What do we do?" the winged woman asked in shock.

J'onn ignored the question, instead focusing on the epileptic man. A moment later, he frowned. "I see something."

"What?" Hawkgirl prodded.

"There seems to be something attached to his spine," the Martian explained, his attention solely focused on the area in question. "It seems to be the source of these seizures."

"So how do we get rid of it?"

J'onn continued to focus on Flash's neck. "There does not appeared to be an entry point," he mused. "I believe I will have to make one myself."

Not sure what he meant by that, Zatanna just watched as the Martian continued to stare at the red-clad man. Then, white beams shot out of his eyes, hitting Flash in the neck. Fascinated, the magician continued to watch until the beams faded away and miraculously, Flash stopped shaking. "I believe that should do it," J'onn announced.

Considering that Flash was still lying on the floor, Zatanna wasn't sure if whatever the Martian did work, but then again she hadn't really been that interested in the medical field. At the very least he wasn't shaking anymore, so that was some good news. Most likely the man would be unconscious for a bit, so they'd—

Suddenly, Flash let out a gasp and curled into the fetal position. His breathing was ragged and he was shaking again, but not as violently as he had been. "Oh God," he gasped out. "It's over…it's over…"

"Hey," Hawkgirl spoke in a surprisingly soothing voice, leaning over the red-clad man and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're okay now. Everything is going to be okay."

Flash weakly turned towards his voice, looking up at her with a mixed expression of pain and awe. "Oh look, an angel. I must be in heaven."

The corner of the winged woman's mouth twitched up. "Sorry, wrong angel."

"So...I'm not in heaven?"

"That's right."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

The Flash laid flat on his back and let out a sigh. It was actually amazing to see him recover as quickly as he was. One moment he was in pure agony, the next it was as if it never had happened. Zatanna had to admit she was slightly jealous about that. "It was too good to be true, I guess," he sighed mournfully, then winced. "My neck's killing me."

"I apologize for that," J'onn replied. "That was the only way to neutralize the bullet in your spine."

Flash frowned. "A bullet? What was that doing there?"

"It seemed to be vibrating a frequency that induced hyperactivity in your nervous system," the alien man explained, sounding as if he were a teacher at a biology seminar. "That was causing you to seize as you were."

The red-clad man flinched at that. It was almost as if all the progress he'd been making vanished into thin air. He even shrunk in on himself. "Is that what happened to me? All I can remember is so much pain. It went on and on without end. There were days I…" he paused as he swallowed, "I just wanted to die so it'd end."

A thick silence fell onto them. Flash seemed to pick up on this and leaned himself up, looking from Hawkgirl to Zatanna to J'onn. "How long was I out?"

It was J'onn who answered him. "I am unsure as to the exact time, but I can assure you it wasn't days."

That stunned the young man. "Oh."

Again, they were consumed by an uncomfortable silence. And again, it was Flash to break it. "So where are we?"

"Good question," Hawkgirl responded, looking to the magician. "What is this place? It's pretty obvious this isn't some random set-up."

Zatanna sighed. Now was as good of a time as any to get this over with. "We're in a cave outside of Gotham. Batman used to used this place when he was…"

Damn, again she was getting choked up.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second!" Flash exclaimed. "This is Batman's lair? The guy who was scaring all those mob families a few years back?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"Wow." Flash looked like a kid during his first trip to Disneyland, wide-eyed and innocent. Head moving from one side to the other, the man started, "This place is…" He paused. "Is that a dinosaur?"

Zatanna turned her head in the direction Flash was looking, finding the T-Rex lurking in the shadows. "Oh yeah, that," she deadpanned. "Been there, done that. Any other questions?"

"Well, what's it's doing here obviously."

"She can give you the full tour later," Hawkgirl interrupted. "What I'd like to know is how you know about this place."

"She knew him, right?" Flash suggested. "I mean, unless she decided to go cave diving for some reason, he brought her here at some point."

Zatanna found herself nodding. "I knew him. I was helping him when the Joker began attacking Gotham. I think you know how that ended."

Flash and Hawkgirl looked elsewhere at that comment. J'onn, though, picked the conversation back up. "So that is why you are troubled."

The dark-haired woman paused. Was it a good idea to tell them about what she saw back at the tower? A part of her didn't want to because she wasn't completely convinced; yet another said that if she couldn't trust heroes with this information, then who could she?

So she took a leap of faith. "Not entirely. I think the man who attacked us...I think that was him."

Flash was suddenly on his feet, a blur of red that suddenly was in her face. "Hold on a second, you're telling me the guy that put me through hell was Batman? The guy that died in that giant fire? The guy that—"

"Flash!" Hawkgirl immediately reprimanded. Apparently she saw the strained look on Zatanna's face and decided to step in. "Try a little tact next time." Then addressing the dark-haired woman, she asked, "What makes you think it was the Bat that attacked us?"

Grateful for the interruption, Zatanna answered, "Because I managed to knock his helmet off and saw his face. Unless he has a twin I don't know about, it was him."

"You know his secret identity?" Flash exclaimed. "Damn, you two must've been close!"

_You have no idea._

"So what was he doing in those ruins?" Hawkgirl spoke with a frown. "As Flash said, didn't he die in that fire? Dead people don't necessarily get back up."

Zatanna shook her head. "I don't know. I'm just as confused as you are. I mean, I was there when he was found." When she only found his cowl and cape—no body. Was it possible that Bruce had been able to leave that warehouse, but had to leave his mask behind? If so, then why did he stay gone for so long? This puzzle of his was making less and less sense the longer she looked at it.

"This is something we can ponder on later," J'onn then said. "First we must attend to Superman and the others before we can decide our next move."

Hawkgirl nodded her acknowledgement. "Right. Flash, can you give me a hand?"

"Me? Why me?"

"Because J'onn's injured and Zatanna doesn't have the upper body strength to lift a couple hundred pounds of muscle."

"Gee, thanks," the dark-haired woman muttered. Again, while she was glad to skip out on this part, to have her inadequacies put so bluntly to her face was irritating.

At least it gave her a little more time to let her body recover from her magic use and, more importantly, to consider Bruce's return. Zatanna got the feeling that she'd be doing a lot of that in the coming days.

* * *

A couple notes. First off, thank you everyone that's reading and reviewing this story. I really appreciate the feedback.

Secondly, Etemenanki is actually considered to be the site of the fabled Tower of Babel. It's currently a ruin in modern day Iraq, but unfortunately for my vision of the place, the images of the ruins didn't quite mesh up with the layout and the location that I had in mind. So I took some artistic liberty in moving it to a more mountainous region of the country and changed the laying into a labyrinth inside of a mountain.

And finally, I figured I'd give a more detailed image of the armor Bruce is wearing. I took the armor on his arms from the Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul comic. The rest of the armor and the helmet in particular come from the Justice League cartoon, A Savage Time. I had thought the shape of the helmet would be a dead giveaway due to its similarity to the original mask, but I figured it would be subtle enough not to tip off too many people if I phrased it right. The cape is pretty much just a cloak I added on at the last moment, but it has served Bruce pretty well so far.


	6. Recovery

Dull, sickening pain throbbed throughout Superman's body as he woke up. His first urge was to puke, but vomit wasn't forthcoming. Instead he groaned as he fought back at the nausea, his eyes squeezing tightly.

When he managed to open his eyelids, all he saw was a dark ceiling. That darkness soon faded away as he felt his x-ray vision begin to kick, clearing out the shadows and revealing...bats? Yes, bats, but then their small bodies gave way to skeletal and muscle structures, the winged rodents' insides appearing before his eyes before they too faded away. Soon, he was looking into rock, small black spots appearing in his vision. Those were just indication of the presence of lead, but that didn't stop him from peering through stone and rock until he reached some sort of room.

A harsh pounding in his head soon overwhelmed the Kryptonian and he had to close his eyes again. Ugh, he hadn't felt this way since he had been exposed to kryptonite by…

Wait, kryptonite!

Superman flung his body up, eyes shooting open as he looked every which way he could, trying to find the red kryptonite. All he saw though, was a lot of equipment of unknown...scratch that, he was seeing into them now.

Again, Superman shut his eyes as he fought back at his hyperactive x-ray. Memories of seeing through his own skin and watching as Flash was hit by a bullet filled his mind. Oh God, Flash!

As if summoning him by thought alone, the insanely rapid approach of footsteps filled his ears, thankfully not as overpowering as they had once been. Soon a presense was next to him, comforting the ill man. "Hey, Big Guy, you're awake," he heard Flash say.

"Flash? You're okay?" he asked immediately, a sense of hope filling his voice.

"Better than I was," the red-clad man grunted, which was most out of character for him.

Superman opened his eyes again and soon found himself seeing straight through Flash's mask and skin, seeing his muscle and bones. Immediately he turned away to look at the floor.

"Hey, you don't look so good, Supes," Flash spoke, concern welling up in his voice. "What's got you down?"

"You'll have to forgive me, Flash," the man of Steel said apologetically. "Right now I'm hearing and seeing far more than I want to at the moment."

"See…" Flash trailed off before comprehension dawned on him. "Hey! Boundaries, please! You don't see me checking out the name tag of your underwear to find out your secret identity!"

Superman waved a hand to pacify the other man. "Don't worry, I didn't see your face. Just your skull and muscles, if that helps."

"I guess it does." Flash sounded bewildered, but that was alright. Right now, the Kryptonian needed to get his powers back under control, or at the very least stop seeing the underground river flowing beneath them. Of course, Flash wasn't one to stay quiet for long. "So what happened to you, man? I saw you collapse back there before I got taken out."

It took Superman a moment to process all of that. Of course the red-clad man was referring to that seizure-like activity he'd been put through. At least he seemed to be alright now. "Some kind of new kryptonite," the dark-haired man answered. "It's still affecting me and I can't seem to get over it."

Flash was silent for a moment before he said, "Hold onto that thought. I'll get J'onn." The whooshing of wind signified that Flash had taken off to do just that. Maybe the man felt it was urgent to use his superspeed as he had, but Superman felt it was more of an unconscious action. If you could get somewhere fast, why not do so? Then again, the Kryptonian also had superspeed, but didn't have the impulse to use it as frequently. A few seconds later, the red-clad man was back, putting a comforting hand on the Man of Steel's shoulder.

It wasn't long after that that J'onn appeared, though Superman heard his approach more than saw. "What seems to be the problem?" the Martian asked in that even, deep voice of his. It had a calming effect on the Man of Steel and he was thankful for that.

"That's your cue, Big Guy," Flash prompted him. Then to contradict himself, he told the green-skinned man, "Supes here thinks he got exposed to kryptonite." There was a pause. "I'm hoping you know what that is."

"I am aware of it," J'onn responded. "However, I do not recall seeing any," he then added, concern in his tone.

"Didn't look like normal kryptonite," Superman informed him. "It was red and it didn't do anything to me until I was exposed to those sunlamps. After that, it's like I went into overdrive. I could feel everything, see through my own skin, and heard damn near everything on this side of the world. I'm still feeling those effects."

"Sunlamps?"

The Kryptonian nodded his head. "Yeah, and that seemed to be the source of everything."

There was a moment of silence before J'onn spoke again. "Without analyzing this kryptonite, I can only hypothesize it's effects."

"And those were?" Flash inquired.

"It seems this kryptonite removed Superman's ability to filter sunlight. Upon exposure, his body absorbed all of its rays and—"

"Whoa, whoa, hang on a sec," the red-clad man interrupted. "Doesn't Supes already absorb sunlight? I thought that's how he got his powers." He then turned to Superman. "That's what you said in that interview, right?"

"I only take in what I need," Superman explained. "Just like everyone else, I reflect some sunlight."

"And with the additional light he was taking in, it exponentially increased his powers to levels beyond his control," the Martian continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "The power surge crippled him."

"Oh...that sucks."

_No kidding._

"Superman is more familiar with the effects of kryptonite poisoning than I. Only he can really say how long the after effects last."

There was another pause in the conversation before Flash decided to add, "Well, until you get control of yourself, do me a favor: don't look at me. I know I can trust ya, Big Guy, but it'd make me feel a whole lot better if you didn't know whose handsome face is beneath this mask."

"Deal," Superman replied wholeheartedly. He had the urge to laugh at Flash's antics too, but there were more pressing matters. "So mind filling me in on what happened? And where are we? Everything looks and sounds different."

"Which do you want me to answer first?" Flash questioned with a shrug.

"Start with the first one."

"Well, from what I heard, after you and me were out of commission, GL, Wondy over there, and Zatanna found us with the guy that attacked us. He then took them out too."

The image of the masked man filled the Kryptonian's mind and he had to fight back a spark of anger. It didn't serve any good to go for a rematch right now, not when he wasn't in full control of his powers. However, it was very concerning that even Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were taken out too. The masked man wasn't someone to trifle with.

"How are they?" he then asked.

"Not good. We got them both on heart monitors and Wondy's looks like it's about to explode from overload. GL's stable and they're running some blood tests on him. Actually," Flash trailed off, "those tests should be finishing up soon."

"Any idea what happened to them?"

"According to Zatanna, the masked guy just touched Wondy and she went down. Not sure what all happened there. Then with GL there was a bunch of smoke and suddenly he was blubbering like a three year old, scared out of his mind." There was a brief pause. "I can't say I like any of this," the red-clad man said darkly.

Superman couldn't blame him for that. It was like this guy knew all of their weaknesses and exploited them to the max. There was also no telling what else he had planned either, and that was the worst part.

Sighing, the Kryptonian decided perhaps now was the time to figure out where they were. "How about my second question? Where are we?"

"Outside of Gotham," Flash answered nonchalantly. "The magician chick decided we could crash Batman's old digs."

_Batman?_ That caused Superman to jerk up, eyes wide as he looked around him. He had to fight back his x-ray vision and was successful for the most part. He was still seeing partially into things, such as the huge computer, a laboratory set up, and a makeshift medical center where Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were lying on metal beds.

So this was where Batman went during the day.

But then, something drew his attention. "Is that a giant dinosaur?"

"Yeah, it is," Flash replied, sounding like a proud parent praising his nine-year old. "Magic lady didn't say anything about how he got it down here, just something about 'been there, done that'."

Something about Flash's words made Superman frown. "Wait, she knew Batman?"

"That's what she claims. Was around for that mess with that crazy clown guy."

You learned something new everyday. Finding himself looking back to the medical center, Superman's x-ray vision began to grow stronger despite his resistance. He was beginning to pick out the fluctuations of the heroes' body activity. Lantern had an elevated heart and pulse rate, but his breathing was depressed. That stood in stark contrast to the pounding heart rate of Wonder Woman. It looked as if her heart was on the verge of beating out of her chest, along with the rapid pulse rate and the unusual pinprick movements he saw at the…

The Kryptonian frowned. "J'onn? There's..." he called out, turning to look at the Martian, only to find him gone.

"J'onn took off when you were busying drilling holes in the ground with your eyes," Flash informed him. "Kinda surprised you didn't hear him leave, Mr. Hearing-Half-a-Continent."

Superman shrugged off the jab and instead floated off the ground, heading to the medical center. Flash wouldn't mind his sudden exit. When he set down, it was next to Wonder Woman. Now that he was closer, he could see just how bad she looked, her skin a sickly color and covered in sweat. Pushing the sight aside, Superman focused on his x-ray vision and stared right at the base of her skull. Soon, he was through her skin and even the bone, examining her brain. That's where he had seen that odd movement.

It didn't take him very long to find its source. Microscopic machines were crawling all over her occipital lobe. From what he could see it wasn't just a handful either, but thousands, no millions of them.

"J'onn?" he called out more urgently. The Martian appeared at his side in seconds. "I'm seeing millions of nanites on Wonder Woman's occipital lobe. I don't know what they're doing, but I'm pretty sure they shouldn't be there."

"I believe that would be a wise assessment." J'onn held out a hand over the Amazon's head, his eyes glowing brightly. He stood that way for a few moments before the glow died down. "Wonder Woman seems to be in an induced trance. She believes she's fighting another person."

"Any way to stop it?"

J'onn looked pensive as he fell deep into thought. "There is nothing you or I could do to end this hallucination. The nanites would ruin any attempt I would try to break their hold on Wonder Woman's mind; however, if we had a way to render the nanites inoperable, that should be enough to restore Wonder Woman's cognitive functions."

"So how do you take out nanites?" Superman wondered aloud.

Again, another silence, but this one turned out to be fruitful. "Being as nanites are mechanical in nature, they should be vulnerable to an EMP charge."

That caused the Kryptonian to frown. "Wouldn't that interfere with her nervous system?"

"Theoretically, her brain should be able to reset, much like a computer. I honestly could not say without further study."

"I guess we don't have much choice though. Any idea where we can find an EMP device?"

"I do not know that, but perhaps Zatanna may be able to find out. She is currently activating the cave's computer and may be able to find one."

Seeing no harm there, Superman nodded before flying off the raised medical platform, descending down towards the cave floor where he saw Zatanna seated in a chair and Hawkgirl standing next to her. Both were looking at the giant computer screen, the monitor glowing with life. Landing behind them, he wasn't too surprised when neither woman acknowledged his arrival.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Hawkgirl was saying to the dark-haired woman. "This is a pretty advanced system, much more than I thought it would be."

"Just consider that it's been at least three years since its last update," Zatanna quipped as she typed at the keyboard. Superman wasn't sure what program she was running, but it seemed important. It still bore in mind what access this Batman character had access to when he was operating.

"Hawkgirl, Zatanna," he greeted them, coming to a stop on Zatanna's left side, Hawkgirl standing on her right.

"Oh, you're up," the winged woman commented, giving him a glance before looking back at the computer. "Sorry we didn't put you on one of the beds. You kinda woke up before we got to you."

"I think the others needed them more than I do," the Kryptonian replied, waving off the apology. "Speaking of which, I need to ask you about something, Zatanna."

"Shoot," the dark-haired woman said.

"J'onn and I detected the presence of nanites in Wonder Woman's head. We think the best way to get rid of them is an EMP and I was wondering if you could find one for us."

"I think I can do that." Zatanna stopped typing, settling herself in the chair much to the Kryptonian's confusion. Then, "Computer, locate EMP device in Gotham."

The monitor suddenly flashed with light over and over, much to Superman and Hawkgirl's amazement. "Voice recognition," he heard the redhead murmur to herself as she watched keenly.

Then a window appeared on screen, showing the image of a hand-held EMP device, a description of the tool next to it. Zatanna read through it before she said with surprise, "Huh, there's one in the cave. I didn't know he had one."

"Why would Batman have an EMP?" Superman asked aloud. It was more to express his confusion than anything, but he couldn't help but catch sight of Zatanna giving him an amused look. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just obvious you never met him. He'd probably would've said, 'You don't?' to that."

"So where is this thing?" Hawkgirl jumped in, crossing her arms over her chest.

"According to the computer, it should be...in the back somewhere. Hang on." The dark-haired woman began typing on the keyboard, the computer responding to her command. When it finished, Zatanna read out loud, "Unit 23-B. I wonder where that is."

Amazingly enough, the computer took that as a command and immediately laid out a set of directions. None of them made sense to Superman, but Zatanna seemed to get an idea. "Oh, okay. I'll go get it." Spinning around in the chair, she then stood up and walked off into a different part of the cave. Superman and Hawkgirl watched her go until she disappeared behind a stalagmite formation.

"She really does know this place," the winged woman commented after a moment, still looking towards the formation.

"So she really did know the Batman," Superman said as he looked towards her.

"That's what she said," the redhead replied with a shrug. "At this point I'm willing to believe her."

"You didn't believe her before?"

"Let's just say I'm a skeptic until proven otherwise."

Superman nodded. By now his nausea had dissipated enough to manageable levels. The constant fight to suppress his hearing and vision were becoming easier to do to the point he found himself not actively forcing himself to keep a lid on his powers. That was a sure sign the kryptonite poisoning was working its way out of his system. With any luck, he just needed a little more time and he'd be a-okay.

"What do you think about this place?" he then asked as he once more began looking about the cave. "You don't find a set-up like this very often."

"It's alright," Hawkgirl responded nonchalantely. "I do wonder how he got it all in here. It's not like he put this all together in a day, not to mention the funds he'd need just to maintain all of it. Forgot how he got all of this stuff, that's debateable; keeping all this running while he was active and having it still useful after so many years of disuse and environmental exposure must have cost a fortune."

"I'm not sure I follow you on how he got all of this."

The winged woman held out her arms to indicate all of the equipment and platforms. "It's possible he purchased all of this, but you're talking about someone with serious wealth. Naturally that limits the number of people he could've been, but that also leaves out the possibility that he simply stole it all. A computer component here, some medical supplies there; over the course of a few years he could've accumulated everything he needed without anyone being the wiser."

"Possible," Superman acknowledged, "but doubtful. This supercomputer alone would've taken too long to assemble if he were just filching different components. I only saw a couple of its functions just now, yet that tells me it has some serious processing power even by today's standards."

"Point." She sighed. "Makes me wish I could've met this guy before he decided to kill us all."

The Kryptonian jerked his head to look at the redhead. "What?"

"The guy that lured us to Etemenanki and proceeded to take us out one by one was apparently this Batman guy—at least that's what Zatanna says. She managed to get a look at his face when they fought and said they looked the same."

Superman felt like the wind was knocked out of him. While he had never met Gotham's Dark Knight—something that Lois was known to grumble about for some reason—to think the man that taunted him with his defeat was shocking was the infamous vigilante. "Is she sure it's him?"

"Like I said, she said they looked physically the same, but she was also troubled by something. Didn't say what. So it got me thinking about the night he was supposed to have died. Zatanna claimed to have found his remains, but when I questioned her about what she found, all she mentioned was a part of his costume—but not anything about his body." At this Hawkgirl looked at the Kryptonian meaningfully.

And he caught her implications. It was entirely possible Batman hadn't died that night, instead using it as an opportunity to disappear. That, however, raised quite a few questions, one of which being why he wanted to vanish in the first place. Had he gotten tired of protecting Gotham? Superman supposed that was possible; yet, from all the things he heard from Lois he didn't think that was right. Even more alarming was his potential connection with this League, Society, or Order of Assassins. There was no other reason for him to be at Etemenanki other than him being connected with them some how.

Hearing the approaching sounds of high-heeled shoes, Superman shoved those thoughts to the back of his head. He'd dwell on them later when there was time to give them the attention they deserved. Eyes on the stalagmite formation, he watched Zatanna reappear with what looked like a tall flashlight in her hands. The head of the flashlight was larger around than the shaft, but lacked a glass face. Instead it caved inwards, leaving it empty. As for the shaft, it had a series of buttons on it, but what they did was anyone's guess.

"Alright, here's the thingamajigger," Zatanna announced as she reached the two heroes. She then blatantly held it out to Superman to take, much to his befuddlement.

"Umm, thanks?" he spoke, his confusion evident in his voice as he took the device. Once delivered, Zatanna made her way around the Kryptonian and took her seat back in the computer chair. Watching her for a couple seconds, Superman then glanced down to the EMP device before shrugging and flying off back to the medical center. Hawkgirl chose to stay with the magician, turning back around to look at the computer monitor.

Reaching the medical platform, Superman touched down and immediately held the EMP to J'onn, who took it graciously. The Martian then held the device up, studying it for several moments as it seemed like he was trying to make sense of it. Abruptly, he then turned towards the bed Wonder Woman rested on and moved towards the head. "Superman, if you would stand on the other side," J'onn requested as he positioned the EMP device over the Amazon's head. "If Wonder Woman reacts negatively to this, I may need you to restrain her."

"What do you mean negatively?"

"In the event she doesn't come out of her hallucination, she may believe she is still under attack. If that is the case, you are the best one of us all to ensure she does not further hurt herself or others." Activating the device, a sharp whine was made, growing louder before it abruptly stopped. "Are you ready?"

Superman positioned himself on the opposite side of the bed, bending his knees slightly as he prepared to take on an aggressive Amazon. "Ready." Then a thought struck him. "What about the medical equipment? Shouldn't we turn it off first?"

"There are surge guards in place," the Martian informed him. "It seemed the previous owner took precautions to ensure any and all equipment could withstand sudden power surges and other risks."

"I see. Go ahead, J'onn."

J'onn hit a button on the device and there was a bright flash from its head. Superman was expecting some sort of reaction from Wonder Woman from the magnetic pulse, but was surprised to see that nothing happened. The only indication that something had happened was on the heart monitor, where the sensors showed an abrupt stoppage of activity. It was only there for less than a second before it began reading just as if nothing had happened.

J'onn watched the monitor intently for a minute before he finally announced, "Her vitals seems to be slowing down. I think a dose of atropine should be prepared in case it is needed."

"Is there atropine here?" Superman asked.

"There was, but unfortunately they were expired. I sent Flash out to collect some before you awoke."

Well, everything seemed to be in order. For that, Superman felt himself breathing easier. They may have been knocked down, but they weren't out of the fight. Of course it was a little early to say they were out of the woods, what with John still unconscious, but the Man of Steel had faith they could reverse whatever was done to him.

After all, they had a former hero to stop.

* * *

Quick note: I'm taking some artistic liberty with the EMP. I'm sure those devices are a lot bigger than the handheld one used here and require a lot more power than Energizer batteries.


	7. Gotham

Wonder Woman had seen better days. Even she couldn't pull off the exhausted-beyond-comprehension look. Gleaming with sweat, skin a sickly pallor, and hair that stuck to every part of her body made her less of a supermodel and more like a super mom that couldn't keep up with her kids. In a way, it was nice to know that even an implausibly beautiful woman such as her could still look like crap.

And no, that wasn't coming from any form of insecurity...mostly...

Right now the Amazon was seated on the side of one of the beds, hands pressed to either side of her on the metal surface, her breathing fast and deep. According to J'onn and Superman, she'd been fighting some imaginary battle in her head. Her body believed it was in battle though, and responded as such, increasing all her vitals until they were about to burst.

It took a creative mind to come up with that kind of method to take out a person and Zatanna didn't like who's creativity that was coming from.

That just left Stewart, who was still sedated. He hadn't received a dose in awhile, at least after he'd been injected with a supposed antidote. Surprisingly it had been Flash that had done all the lab work. While the magician understood he could do them all the fastest, the fact that he was competent to run them was the more shocking detail. Then when he had told them of the findings, he wasn't stumbling over his words like she thought he would.

"_Looks like there's some kind of toxin in GL. Right now it's stimulating his sympathetic system, acting as an agonist for receptors along the vagus nerve. Pretty much, it's making GL feel scared."_

They had all stared at the red-clad man after that report, looking at him like he had grown a second head.

That had prompted him to say, "_What? I can know stuff."_

So apparently Flash had a brain in what Zatanna had assumed was a head with an open vacancy. Goes to show you can't judge a book and so on. After that revelation, an antidote had been created and administered to the unconscious Lantern. So now they were all waiting.

"I feel as if I raced Hermes through Tartarus," Wonder Woman groaned as she continued to breath heavily.

Zatanna found herself standing next to the Amazon and turned her head to look at her. Yep, still looked like crap. Deciding to take pity on the other woman, the magician said, "If you want, there's showers down here. You can clean up there."

"I believe I shall take you up on that offer. Once I can catch my breath."

"Take your time, Sister. Not like we're going anywhere."

Feeling as if that exchange had run its course, Zatanna turned her attention to the others, who were currently discussing the other traps they had been exposed to. From what she had picked up, the Martian has been surrounded by fire, which had done a number on him. Though Zatanna could see why a person wouldn't want to be burned alive, she was having a little difficulty grasping why it was extra harmful for Martians. There had been some explanation about...something or another...but all she got was that fire equals bad. That was good enough for her.

As for Hawkgirl, she had been there when J'onn started panicking, which turned out to be a good thing as she had saved the Martian's green butt. She had mentioned that a dropping ceiling was also thrown in for good measure to make sure they couldn't avoid the flames for too long. That made sense since her race, the Thanagarians, were natural flyers—big shock there. Without room to fly, it severely limited their mobility.

Speaking of Thanagarians, Hawkgirl decided to open up their private discussion for the entire group. "I have to say, all of these traps this guy made? It was like they were tailor-made for each of us."

"Speak for yourself," Flash muttered. "You didn't have a seizure every nanosecond."

To Hawkgirl's credit, she ignored the man. "Something like this takes a lot of time and effort to pull off—a lot of time observing us in action."

"That makes sense," Superman agreed. "While my weakness to kryptonite is no secret, not everyone knows about Flash's ability to vibrate through objects. This man would have had to have seen that in order to come up with a way to counter it. The same with J'onn's weakness to fire."

"Which means he knows more about us than we'd like," the winged woman summed up. "Yet we don't know anything about him. Going forward, I think we're going to need to know everything we can."

At that, every eye turned to her, though Wonder Woman's was mostly out of confusion. Obviously she hadn't been awake to hear about their suspicions. Regardless, Zatanna felt uncomfortable with all the attention. For some reason she felt as if she were supposed to divulge every secret Bruce had kept and she didn't like that one bit.

"Obviously there are some things I have to leave out," the magician began, looking straight at Superman for emphasis. If she could get his approval, it'd make things a heck of a lot easier to avoid certain subjects. Upon seeing his nod, she felt a tiny bit at ease when she continued, "But from what I remember, he is a very thorough man. He didn't do things half-assed—I guess you could say he was a perfectionist."

"Wanna tell us something we don't know?" Flash interrupted, which earned him everyone's stare. "What? A guy with all this stuff down here isn't sloppy. Pretty obvious if you ask me."

Deciding to ignore that, Zatanna said, "He was also very determined. If he set his mind to something, he usually accomplished what he set out to do. That wasn't always a good thing though; this one time he worked himself past exhaustion trying to break down Joker Venom—"

"Joker Venom?" Superman questioned.

Zatanna got the feeling this was going to be a running theme in this discussion. That still didn't stop her from sighing. "Some very nasty stuff; let's just leave it at that. There was only one man that could make it and he disappeared the same night Batman...disappeared."

Now that she thought about it, they hadn't found a body for the Joker either. It was entirely possible that he survived that night, the same as Bruce—a thought the dark-haired woman did not like at all. She had been enjoying the thought that the Joker went down in flames, a victim of his own destruction for the last few years. Perhaps she had gotten too much enjoyment out of that; it was at least more than she'd ever admit.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she carried on, though she noted the contemplative looks on Hawkgirl, J'onn, and Superman's face. They had to have been thinking the same thing as her. "He didn't like other people helping him though." Zatanna had to resist the flash of annoyance that bubbled up inside her at that thought. "You had to practically twist his arm to get him to accept any help at all."

"How about these traps?" Hawkgirl inquired. "Do you think he was capable of making them?"

"If you mean is he smart enough to come up with them? Yeah, absolutely. As far as actively luring you all to one place so he could take you all out in one fail-swoop, it wouldn't surprise me if he considered that as an option. But back then, I don't think he cared enough about any of you to want to do it. He seemed more than content on letting all of you do your things in different parts of the country, so long as you didn't come to Gotham."

"So then something changed between then and now," J'onn spoke then. "Though from the way you describe him, this change seems most peculiar."

"There's also his possible connection to the League of Assassins," Superman added. At that, everyone's eyes focused on him, though Zatanna got the feeling it was more directed at the name of the group than anything. Flash and Hawkgirl looked as if they were about to correct him. Wisely, Superman headed them off by continuing his point. "There was a reason all of us were told about Etemenanki. As Zatanna said, we were lured there, and it's pretty obvious that it was to put us out of commission. There's something larger going on here and Batman seems to be at the center of it, or at the very least is playing a part in it."

"That's a pleasant thought," Flash quipped. "Can't say I like the idea that this is only beginning."

"It does raise the question of when Batman could've come into contact with the League," J'onn said. "Are you aware of any such meeting?" he then directed at Zatanna.

The magician shook her head, her hair waving about as she did so. "Not when I was here." Then a thought occurred to her, one that caused a sinking feeling to appear in her stomach. Flicking her eyes to the supercomputer, she stared at it for a moment before she returned her attention to the heroes in front of her. "If there was one thing about him, it was that he was extremely anal. Every time he came back from patrolling Gotham, he's make a record of it in his computer. If...if he did meet this League of whatever, then he'd make a mention of it there."

"That's a start," Superman said. "For now, I think Zatanna should go through Batman's computer for any clues on the League. J'onn, you and and Hawkgirl help out too."

"What about the rest of us, Big Guy?" Flash asked, holding a hand up to indicate himself and Wonder Woman. It seemed the Amazon had recovered somewhat, her breathing slowing down noticeably.

"We'll do a search of this bat cave," the Kryptonian answered. "See if there's anything here that we can use or get a better idea of what Batman and the League of Assassins are up to." At that comment, Zatanna couldn't help but bristle. She wanted to argue with him, but there were other matters more important than defending Bruce's honor, so she settled for clutching her hands into tight fists. "Wonder Woman, you should rest up for now and—"

"I am not an invalid," the Amazon instantly reprimanded, much to Zatanna's amusement. "I will commence the inspection with you and Flash now."

"Hold your horses, Princess," Hawkgirl spoke up then. "You look like you just crawled out of your own grave. Catch your breath, clean up, and then you can help these guys comb every crevice of the cave. We've got the time."

Wonder Woman didn't look the least bit mollified by that, but she held her tongue a lot better than she did with Superman. "Very well," she gave in, a crossed expression on her face.

The Thanagarian gave her a triumphant look, but soon had her attention drawn elsewhere when a low moan was made. Everyone looked at the now shifting Green Lantern as he slowly woke up. "Ohhhhh," he moaned before he pressed a hand to his face, covering his eyes. He laid like that for a moment before he dropped his hand away and pushed himself up until he was holding himself off the bed.

He stared back at them with squinted eyes for several seconds before he began looking at his surroundings. "Where am I?"

"GL, you're awake," Flash said before zipping over to the man, standing at his side next to the bed. "We were just about to go on tour in this spooky cave and were drawing straws to figure out who'd be here to hold your hand."

It seemed like Stewart wasn't a morning person as he glared at the red-clad man. "What are you talking about?"

Laying an arm around the man's shoulders, Flash carried on nonchalantly. "Apparently someone was scared out of their britches not too long ago. We all heard you screaming like a little girl."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Wonder Woman demanded incensed, but her anger came in a distant second as Lantern intensified his glare.

"I don't scream," he growled lowly.

"Not according to the magician chick," Flash countered cheerily.

_Magician chick?_ Zatanna raised an eyebrow at that.

Stewart chose that moment to quit talking to Flash, looking at the others. "Can someone please tell me what this idiot is talking...about...?" he trailed off as something caught his eye.

"Is that a giant dinosaur?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes. Suddenly she was starting to understand why it annoyed Bruce so much when people talked about his dino trophy. It was a good thing they all agreed to stay in the Batcave and not go bumbling into Gotham. She really didn't want to imagine the damage they'd inadvertently do with how disorganized they were.

* * *

It was going to be a chilly night. Autumn was giving way to winter and it wouldn't be long before Gotham had its first snow. Normally that was a good thing, but the last three years had proven to be anything but normal.

Sucking in the tainted smoke from his cigarette, Gordon let it settle into his lungs before blowing it out in a cloud of smoke. The commissioner was on one of his rooftop breaks, taking in the skyline of the city as he was wont to do. It had been a habit of his during his early years as police commissioner and it hadn't really left him in the intervening years. Of course, every once in a while he'd have an unexpected visitor, but those days had ended a long time ago.

Gotham had changed. With the fall of the crime families, the city had a peek at a brighter future. That glimmer had turned into fool's gold when the Joker had swept in, leaving a trail of destruction Gotham had yet to recover from. No one had been spared the mayhem that had ensued, capped off by the now-infamous Great Gotham Fire. A third of the city had been left a burnt out husk after that night, along with the fall of one of its growing icons, the Batman.

For the first few months, Gordon honestly thought that they could manage, finish what the vigilante had started so long ago. That had turned into a pipe dream though, when the void left behind by the Joker was filled by people with even less honor than that demented clown. It was a stark contrast to the days of Mob rule, where even the police department was bought and paid for.

Now, most of the older cops were gone, either rooted out by Gordon due to corruption, or were killed off by the Joker during one of his many attacks. That had left the older man with the unexpected plus side of riding him of people resistant to the changes he was trying to implement. On the other hand, it had taken away all the experience those cops had, leaving him to fill his ranks with officers unfamiliar with Gotham, or recruits fresh out of the academy. That, unfortunately, had Gotham wide open for what seeped into it.

Jokerz.

Like maggots festering in rotten meat, men and women began painting their faces with make-up and put on dime store clothes. Taking up the so-called cause of the Joker, these people banded together to take control of the city in the madman's honor. Many of them had taken over the ruined sections of Gotham, claiming it as their base of operations, which prevented the reconstruction of much of those areas. Fortunately the GCPD managed to quarantine most of those criminals in that area, but that didn't stop their antics.

It didn't help that the police force had a distinct lack of experience facing this sort of gang. Sure, Gotham had gangs, but none of them behaved with the same reckless abandoned as the Jokerz did. In fact, the Jokerz were now the largest gang in the city, stamping out many of the smaller gangs in the process and a few of the larger ones as well. Gordon could count on his one hand the number of rival gangs that were left and if his information was correct, that number would be dropping to one finger by next summer.

Unfortunately, this was also an election year, which brought additional heat from City Hall. Mayor Grange had been in his corner for most of her term, but the polls were turning against her and she was getting desperate. That in turn put pressure on Gordon to clean up the streets when they were anything but.

What he wouldn't give to see a familiar bat.

Speaking of which, that was another development that the commissioner and the department didn't like. Along with the rise of the Jokerz came a wave of self-proclaimed protectors to fight them off. Copycat Batmen had been roaming the streets in attempts to recreate the success of the first, but it became obvious pretty quickly that none of them should've put on those rubber masks. Gotham had practically became a war zone with Jokerz on one side, the copycats on another, the GCPD on yet another, and finally the city's citizens caught up in the middle.

And that wasn't including the other vigilantes in fancy dress.

Where the copycats were nothing more than wannabe police officers, a new wave of vigilantes had taken to the streets as well, trying to put their own marks on Gotham. They were more successful than the copycats, but all of them belonged in the same jail cells as the rest of them. In some respects, Gordon felt hypocritical thinking that considering what he had previously condoned, yet he felt there was something different now. There had been a sense of control when the Batman was around, something that was distinctly lacking with these new ones. Gordon knew they meant well, but their actions were making things more messy than they already were.

It was times like these that he wished all he had to deal with were mobsters.

Taking another puff, the commissioner was surprised to find his cigarette was just about done. That probably wasn't a good sign considering he was smoking a lot more than he used to. With a sigh, Gordon flicked the cigarette butt away, turning around as he began walking towards the roof access. Looked like his break was over.

The crunching of gravel beneath his feet followed him to the roof access door, which was presently open ajar. Slipping in, the older man let it closed behind him as he began descending down the steps. After a few flights, Gordon pushed opened a door and entered the MCU, heading towards his office. It had formerly been the Homicide Department, but after the Great Gotham Fire, the unit has been converted to Major Crimes, Homicide being moved to another floor. All around him he saw his officers hard at work, the incessant ringing of phones and shouts of men and women filling his ears. Eyes sweeping around the room, he noticed a distinct lack of a few familiar faces. Essen was out of town visiting her mother, so of course she wouldn't be here. Bullock and Montoya were probably hitting the streets right now, or so he hoped.

Weaving his way through the office, Gordon was just about to go into his own private office when a _ding!_ sounded off by the elevators and one of them slid open. Stopping, the commissioner watched as three young men were shoved out, each one dressed ridiculously like clowns. One was a rather big African-American who wore a really small bowler's hat on his head, the other two were smaller Caucasians, one of which had a green mohawk. The other one didn't really stand out when compared to the other two.

And right behind the Jokerz was Bullock, Montoya, and another officer, forcing the complaining gang members down the walkway. Gordon watched bemused as they began walking by him. "I see you caught yourself some fish," he said to Bullock, causing the group to stop. "I'd tell you to throw 'em back, but I don't think you're a catch-and-release kind of guy."

"Tell me about it," Bullock grunted back. "These weasels weren't worth half the work we put in to drag 'em up here."

"Piss off, pig!" Mohawk Joker shouted, twisting around to glare at the newly-promoted Lieutenant.

"That's Lieutenant Pig to you, jack off," Bullock retorted. Looking to Gordon, he then said, "Found this lot trying to set a toy factory on fire. Idiots couldn't figure out how to start a fire until we pulled up."

"That's cause we were too busy plowin' your mom," the black Joker shot back, causing him and his friends to start laughing loudly.

Amazingly, Bullock took that insult in stride—for Bullock. "Don't kid yourself, Jekko. You couldn't afford my mom on one of her bad days."

The two smaller Jokerz let out a low "oooooooooh," taunting their friend as he growled at the police lieutenant. Shaking his head, Gordon ordered, "Throw 'em in Cell 2, the one with the broken camera."

"Ay, Ay, Com'mish." Pushing his Joker forward, Bullock began leading the procession away. Watching them go, Gordon eventually went into his office, closing the door behind him.

When he had mentioned the broken camera, that had been a scare tactic to get some anxiety running in those punks. Gordon didn't condone violence against perps in the GCPD, but it never hurt to put suspects on edge. Reaching his desk, he plopped down in his chair and stared at his desk. There were piles of reports he had to go through and Gordon was not looking forward to it.

* * *

Bryan Johnson gave a low moan. Ugh, his head was hurting him and his arms felt like they were being pulled. The floor beneath him was uneven and bumpy as the front of his legs were dragged against it. What was going on?

Tilting his head up, Bryan noticed both of his arms were held tightly by two punk-ass Jokerz. Each one had a huge smile on their face as they dragged him through some old, cobblestone courtyard, heading to some dilapidated building. If Bryan remembered right, it looked like the old Gotham Cathedral. There were scorch marks all over it and gaping holes in its stone exterior, but he was sure that was it. The courtyard wasn't much better, the cobblestone dirty from soot and grime, the occasional sprouting of weeds between the stones.

What was going on? Bryan couldn't remember why he was here with these thugs. Hell, no self-respecting citizen would be with them given the choice. Okay, the last thing he remembered was suiting up in his bat costume and pads for his nightly patrol. Him and a couple of the guys were planning on hitting up one of the dives the Jokerz like to vandalize, so they were going to put a stop to it. Everything had been going to plan too until something hit him in the back of the head. Oh, so that's why his head hurt.

The Jokerz reached the large doors of the cathedral and shoved them open with their shoulders. The hinges groan in protest, but gave in, allowing the two punks to drag the Batman disciple inside. The inside didn't look much better than the outside once Bryan's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Candles were burning along side the walls, creating a lot of shadows around the pillars that held the ceiling up. The floor was just as dirty as the courtyard, scuff marks marking up portions of the stone surface. Oddly enough, all the pews had been ripped out and piled up in the corner of the church. Some were charred and rotted through, others simply broken due to being poorly handled.

Yet, what Bryan found most alarming was that one side of the building had metal stadium seating, a small army of Jokerz lounging on the seats as they stared and giggled at him. Bryan stiffened in his captors hold, instinctively trying to yank his arms free. Unfortunately, their grips were too firm and he couldn't get away. It also caused the Jokerz to stop and turn towards them, one of them pulling their leg back and swinging it, landing a hard kick against the Bat disciple's ribs. Air forced out of his legs, Bryan wheezed as he tried to suck in as much as he could. His pal hooted and hollered with glee, kicking the poor man as well. "Now, now, we're almost there," the giddy Joker taunted. "The boss wants ta meet ya."

Boss? The Jokerz had a boss? Bryan began trembling from the thought. Before he had thought they were just a gang of vagrants, acting out like mindless savages. That was easy to deal with. A Jokerz leader though, who knows what sort of damage they could do with some actual direction.

His captors began dragging him again, heading towards the far end of the cathedral. It was then that Bryan noticed a small enclave, a man standing in its shadows. He stood with his back to them, head slightly tilted down. Due to the shadows, Bryan couldn't make out any other discernible features other than he wore a dark trench coat and that his stringy-looking hair had a dark color to it.

That was when the Bat disciple was shoved to the floor, one of the Jokerz grabbing his mask by one of its horns and yanked it off his face. Shellacked brown hair was pasted to his forehead, his bushy mustache twitching as his chubby face was laid bare for all to see. Bryan's trembling got worse as a sinking feeling formed in his stomach. Fear gripped the man's heart. These animals...they knew his face...they…there was no telling what they'd do now.

"Boss!" the same giddy Joker shouted, shaking with unrestrained glee. "We got 'em! We got the Bat!"

Bryan froze. They...they thought he was _the_ Batman? Oh, oh God, this was terrible! Horrible! "I-I-I-I'm not Batman!" he protested as he tried pushing himself off the floor. He was stopped as he took another kick to his gut. Wheezing, he bent over from the blow, tears forming around his eyes.

With a gasp, he sucked in as much air as he could before he looked back up, hoping to plead his case when he noticed the man in the shadows had tilted his head to a side, as if he were looking at Bryan from the corner of his eye. Then, the man turned his head away and said in a dead tone, "That's not my Batman."

The middle-aged man felt relief flood him. Oh thank God, oh thank Jesus. The last thing he needed was to be Batman in this place. He wouldn't make it out alive in that case.

However, his captors were taken back by that, including the audience of Jokerz in the stand. The giggling had stopped, causing an eerie silence to fall upon the cathedral. The two Jokerz at his sides looked at each other stunned before one of them protested, "But, he's wearing the costume. See?" At this he dangled the bat mask in front of him before dropping it to the floor. He then grabbed Bryan's cape and held it up, letting it slip from his hand and limply fall back down. "This guy is the Bat!"

Again, the man in the shadows turned his head, but this time his body moved as well until he stood with his side facing them. Even then, the shadows clung to him, hiding his face from sight. Then the man raised a handgun and aimed it right at Bryan. With wide eyes, he stared at the barrel, his heart stopping in his chest.

And then he fired.

To everyone's surprise, the protesting Joker jerked back before dropping to the floor, a bullet hole in his neck. He immediately began gasping for air, thrashing on the floor as he bled out. The entire audience of Jokerz shot up in their seats, looking on in shock, the same with Bryan's other captor, who had twisted his head around to stare in surprise at his fallen friend.

Looking back, Bryan saw the man turned his gun to the other Joker, who had also looked back to his boss. His eyes shot wide open as he realized the gun was on him, but before he could even move, another shot was fired. The Joker's head jerked back unnaturally, blood shooting out the back of his skull before he dropped to the floor in a heap.

"Oh God, oh God," the middle aged man gasped before jerking his head back to stare at the shooter. It was much to his relief the man had lowered his gun, but he was still staring towards Bryan. Though still covered in darkness, which made it impossible for Bryan to see what depraved eyes were looking at him, he could most definitely feel them and that made his skin crawl.

"No, it's not," the man stated before turning his attention to the other Jokerz. Bryan felt himself relax as he felt the eyes move away from him. "I've already told the rest of you: find my Batman. I don't think I have to tell you what'll happen if you don't."

There was a pause then. "Now, someone clean out this trash. They're getting blood on my floor."

Unfortunately, one of the Jokerz spoke up, "Wh-what do ya w-want us to do with th-the fake Bat?"

Bryan didn't want for an answer. Instead, he scrambled onto his feet and fled towards the doors. He had to get out of here! He didn't want to die! He had to find help, someone, anyone! Please God, let him out of here and he—

He never got to finish his thought as another gunshot rang out, this time the bullet going through Bryan. The last thing he saw was the floor rushing up to him before everything went black.


	8. The Detective

_The man stared into the darkness that permeated the area. He was in some sort of alleyway long since forgotten by mankind. The concrete ground was covered in trash and grime, the walls of the buildings just as dirty with graffiti designs on them. There were places like this all over the world, so this was nothing new to the man._

_However, there was something about this place that made the man dislike it immediately. The still air was suffocating, the silence alarming. He had never been here before and he wanted to leave it just as quickly as he found it. Yet, he was rooted to the ground, unable to move. It was almost as if some spell was forcing him to wait for something to happen. With every passing second, his stomach twisted and turned as anxiety built itself inside of him._

_The sound of a child's laughter broke the silence. The man stared at the end of the alleyway as three people came into view, one of which was the child. On either side of him was a man and woman, the man dressed in a high-class suit, the woman in a lovely evening gown. All of their attention was focused on the boy as he started chatting non-stop. Oddly enough, he didn't make a sound despite how animated he was._

_The family strolled down alley, the picture of happiness. The man wasn't sure why he was seeing this, only that it brought a sense of peace to him he hadn't felt in quite some time. He had forgotten what it felt like to be this serene._

_And then they stopped. Someone was at the man's side, covered in darkness. A handgun was clasped in his hand, pointed right at the family. The man stared at the robber, but couldn't see his face; yet, he felt as if the robber was demanding something. What was it? Money? Jewelry? What?_

_Slowly, the father reached to his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He then reached towards the gunman, holding it out calmly despite concern in his eyes. The robber eager snatched the wallet away, the father retreating quickly back so as not to antagonize the gunman, waiting silently for the next command._

_Then, for whatever reason, the gunman lunged at the mother, reaching out for a string of pearls around her neck. With a yank, he broke the clasp in back and stole the necklace away. However, the pearls didn't stay on their string, falling off of it and raining down on the ground, the sound of their bouncing on the concrete ground created the first sound since the laughter._

_Yet, the father took this as a hostile action and leapt at the gunman. Light flashed before the man's eyes, the deafening blast of a gunshot filling his ears. The father fell. The mother began screaming silently, to which the gunman jerked his gun towards her and fired again, another gunshot echoing throughout the alley. The parents collapsed to the trash-covered ground on top of each other, blood pooling around them._

_As quickly as the robber had appeared, he vanished out of the man's sight, which left the child and his fallen parents. The boy just stood there, paralyzed in shock and fear. His hands and legs began to tremble until his legs ultimately gave out and he dropped to the floor, landing on his knees as tears began to cascade down his face._

_The man watched dispassionately at the scene, the parents lifeless and the boy lost in sorrow and loss. The silence was back, but now it seemed to choke the life from him. It was hard to breath now, a lump forming in his throat that no amount of swallowing could dislodge._

_However, if the man thought that was the end of this scene, he was sorely mistaken. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of moment. He tried to see what it was, but his head was frozen much like his body, which caused alarms to wail in his head._

_Then, what looked like shades swept out of the shadows, running along the ground and sliding down the walls of the alleyway. The shades raced towards the child, circling around his distraught body, swirling and swirling until it began to envelop him. First it wrapped around the boy's bent legs, climbing up his torso, and pouring down his arms. It saved his head for last, swallowing it up until the boy's face faded into the gathering shadows. Yet, the shades continued to come, feeding the growing mass of darkness. Soon, a large ball of shadows sat right where the boy had, the last of the hungry shades disappearing into it as an ominous feeling began welling up in the man._

_And then, the darkness began to grow, extending upwards and losing its roundness. The top began to thin out, forming a head as the rest of it became more angular and straight. Horns on either side of the head emerged from the crown._

_Finally, white fire burst from the dark creature's head, forming eyes that bore into the man. All of his attention was on this demon and he couldn't help but feel like he was being sucked in, his sight closing onto the creature's face until all he could see was the blank, white eyes._

With a gasp, the man shot up from his bed, his breathing ragged as he felt his heart pounding in his chest. Gone was the alleyway and that...monster...and the sight of his room bathed in darkness greeted him.

_It was only a dream. Just a dream._

Focusing on his breathing, the man began trying to calm his breathing, slowing his accelerated heart rate. Raising a hand up, he rubbed it against his face, fingers brushing against the dark strains of his hair as he felt the sheen of sweat on his skin. That made him frown. His body had been affected by the dream more than he thought, which was unacceptable. He was in the service of the Demon's Head and his master was unforgiving of any sign of weakness.

Something began moving across his abdomen, causing him to look down. An arm, cool and smooth to the touch, brushed against his hot skin. It was pleasant to feel. Following the arm, he soon looked at the woman it was attached to, her dark hair falling over her face, though he could make out one of her green eyes.

"Beloved?" she called out to him, her accented voice soothing his mind. "Why do you wake?"

The man sighed. "Nothing." He closed his eyes as he continued to calm down. His internal clock was starting to make itself known, alerting him to the beginning of dawn. It was time to get up. "The Master will be expecting me soon."

He heard movement as the woman pushed herself up, sitting next to him as their bedsheet clung to her bosom. Her arm moved up his body until her hand caressed his face. "Always the dutiful soldier, my Beloved," she said, her visible eye dancing with amusement, the corners of her mouth rising up in a smile.

The dark-haired man returned her smile with a small one of his own, and then leaned towards her, which prompted her to do the same. Their lips met as they kissed, each of them slow to pull away. "It is a shame that we cannot stay here," she murmured softly to him.

"Yes," he agreed.

"You should go then, before you are delayed. I shall meet you there."

With a nod, the man pulled himself away from the woman, sliding out of the bed and standing next to it. Nude, he walked towards a small room in the corner of the chamber, entering it and seeing a large basin of water and a small hand cloth. Taking the cloth, he soaked it in the cold water and began rubbing it against his skin, washing off the sweat of the night. Running water was scarce in the facility, saved for the Master and those he deemed worthy. For the rest, this simple scrubbing sufficed. He started with his arms, moving up them and to his shoulders, then down his chest and abdomen. His legs would come next, then as much of his back as he could. All the while he would dip the cloth back in the water to wet it.

Once done, he toss the cloth to the floor before picking up the basin and lifting it over his head pouring all the water onto him. The liquid washed down his body, splashing all over the floor. Due to the curvature of the floor, the water began swirling towards a drain in the middle of the room.

Done with his bathing, the man grabbed a dry towel and rubbed off any excess water on his person. Once finished, he tossed the towel to join the small cloth and left the room. He wasn't surprised to note that the woman was gone. Ignoring the empty bed, he trudged over to a wardrobe and opened the doors.

Inside was his armor on display, waiting for him. Piece by piece, he put it one, first his pants and undershirt, followed by the leg guards and body armor. The scale-like arm guards were next, followed by his gauntlets and tri-blades. The belt looped around his waist and came together with a _click!_ as head and tail met. Lastly, he picked up his helmet, slipping it over his head, the room taking on a darker tint.

Ready, the man in black grabbed his cloak and began attaching it to his shoulder guards as he began walking to the door. By the time he reached it, he was in full uniform, leaving the comforts of his room as he entered a stone corridor.

With practiced ease, he navigated the labyrinth of halls. They were familiar to him as snow to a mountain. He was alone for the entire journey, which was not unexpected. Rarely were these corridors filled with the presence of others, his only company the sound of his footsteps.

That would change all too soon as he took a turn at the end of the corridor he was in, seeing a set of wooden doors shut tight at the end. Two assassins stood at attention, their arms held at their sides as they stared directly at him. The man gave them a once-over, eying their bodysuits and masks. Only elite members were given the honor of protecting these doors, though these two were not the only ones watching. There were a few more hidden throughout all the hall, ready at a moment's notice to eliminate all unwelcomed guests.

Confidently, he strode down the hallway, coming to a stop in front of the two visible guards. "I am here to see the Master," he spoke evenly. The two guards continued to stare at him before they acknowledged his words, pushing open the doors to allow him entry. Had they not done so, the man in black was sure that his back would be filled with knives, throwing stars, and poisoned darts had he so much as budged an inch in retreat or advancement.

Striding into the chamber, the doors closing behind him, the man stared directly at a throne on the opposite side of the room. Unlike most of the fortress, this room was brightly lit, revealing the man that sat on the raised dais, body relaxed and arms lyings on the arm rests. To his right, a taller, bald man stood, his arms crossed over his chest. The bald man was of no consequence when compared to the one seated on the throne.

The Demon's Head, Ra's al Ghul.

He held himself regally, his dark hair highlighted by streaks of white that started at his temples. Cold eyes watched the man approach his throne until he came to a stop, kneeling down and bowing his head down. "Master," he greeted stoically.

The Master remained silent for a moment as he regarded the dark-clad man. "I see you are well, Detective," he finally intoned, voice deep and sophisticated. "What news do you bring me?"

The Detective kept himself prostrated, a fist pressed into the floor before him. "I have fulfilled the Demon's will; the targets have been eliminated."

There was a brief pause before the Master spoke with a congratulatory tone, "This news pleases me. You may rise, Detective."

"As the Master pleases," he replied before he stood up, letting his cloak envelop him. He took note of the green cloak the Master wore, it being pushed to his right to reveal his white dress shirt and red tie. "What does the Demon bid of me?"

Ra's al Ghul smirked. "You have barely returned to reap the fruits of your long labor. Your passion and will never cease to amaze me, Detective."

"I only live to serve the Demon's Head."

"As do all of your comrades."

"Hardly a fair comparison, Father."

The Detective glanced to the Master's left and watched as a woman appeared from behind the throne. A skin-tight body suit covered her body, her hair falling over her face to reveal one eye. She was Talia, daughter of the Demon.

And he was her beloved.

"Perhaps," Ra's acknowledged, one of his hands reaching up to stroke the facial hair descending from his chin. "Very few have demonstrated such aptitude. Where many have crumbled in defeat, he has flourished in victory. One day, he may even become my Ubu."

The Detective switched his attention to the bald man, who scowled at the remark. He was the current Ubu, the Demon's right hand. It was not a position achieved through simple accomplishments, but through demonstration of skill and ruthlessness. Many strived to fill the position only to fail. "It is an honor to receive such praise," he said, bowing his head in reverence. "Though I am still unworthy of such an honor."

At those words, Ubu grunted his agreement.

Ra's graced him with an approving look. "As you mentioned earlier, I do have a new task for you. Your services are needed to secure one of the pits in the western hemisphere. Construction has been completed, which leads up to the installation of the bombs. There are few I would trust with such a task."

"What is your will, Master?"

"I require you to ensure the installation phase is complete at these sites. You will be briefed on the morrow as to your locations."

The Detective bowed his head. "The Master's will be done."

"Excellent. You may leave."

Kneeling once more, the Detective paid his respects before standing back up, turning to leave the chamber. He spared one last glance to Talia before he made his way to the entrance, the doors opening as he arrived to allow his leave. For the first time in awhile, he was granted a new assignment. It was refreshing to be doing something new and rewarding for his prior success.

After all, he lived to serve.

* * *

Once the doors were closed, Talia eyed her father.

"He has proven to be quite an asset, has he not?' Father stated, eyes locked on the doors. He was always a hard man to read. His countenance gave him a severe look that served to cower the souls of lesser men. Of course, a man did not rise to his status without such a commanding presence.

The dark-haired woman nodded her agreement. "That and more, Father."

"You should keep him in your confidences, Daughter," he told her, finally turning his head to regard her. "He may even prove to have other uses."

The corner of Talia's mouth raised. She was very well aware of the Detective's other uses. In fact, she had high hopes for him, much like her father—though hers were more ambitious. Now wasn't the time to reveal those just yet. "I intend to keep an eye on him. A man of his quality is difficult to come by."

"Quite. On that note, how are our preparations coming along?"

"We are exceeding schedule," she answered, taking the change of topic in stride. "Bomb placement has been confirmed throughout Eurasia and Africa. We are waiting on confirmation from our Australian and South American teams. The Detective, as you have just ordered, will be overseeing the North American operations."

Father was quiet for a moment, once more stroking his tuffs of facial hair before he said, "The smaller pits, though important, do not concern me as much as the larger ones. Those are the ones I wish for the Detective to confirm."

Remaining stoic, Talia hid the rising joy she felt. She had feared this latest objective would keep her beloved away once more. He had already been for so long, it was beginning to pain her. "I will relay your orders."

"Will you?" Her father seemed bemused. "Such a task is beneath you, Daughter. A sentry shall be sent to brief him."

"As you say, Father, I should keep the Detective in my confidences," Talia replied. "I must know he will take my orders as well as yours."

"I have no doubt that he would."

"All in his service to you. I would prefer he to know his loyalties first hand rather than assume I hold them. One must never assume the extent of their power."

Ra's nodded. "Very well, Daughter, I leave his briefing in your hands." There was a pause. "Now to the next matter: the Order has been sent on the reconnaissance missions, correct?"

This time Talia lost her good humor. Of all of the preparations her father wanted performed, this was the one she found most bothersome. He had been searching for this fabled temple since he was a young man and had come up empty-handed. To her, it was simply a legend that only desperate men yearned for; ironic that her father of all people still sought it out. If she had it her way, they wouldn't be bothering with this wild goose chase. These patrols were a waste of manpower they could use elsewhere. "I have assigned units to various locations across the globe, Father, as per your instructions. The sites that are believed to be the most likely locations will be given greater numbers for the investigation."

Father raised an eyebrow at her. Obviously something about her report displeased him. "And you made sure that each and every location will be investigated?"

"Of course, Father. I would never ignore your orders."

That seemed to placate him. "Very good, Daughter. As you are very well aware, I am sacrificing my lifeblood for our current objective. With the Detective's success at terminating the threat of the super-humans and aliens, we have reached the point of no return. If I am to continue leading us into the new era, the temple must be found."

Talia merely gave a sharp nod. She was very well aware of what the completion of their objectives would mean and she highly anticipated it. When Father wasn't forthcoming with further praise or demands, Talia took that opportunity to make her exit, bowing as she asked, "May I ask for you leave, Father?"

"You may and have it. Be well, my daughter."

* * *

She was here.

Sitting on the floor, his legs cross before him, the Detective breathed in the soothing scent of incense as he cleared his mind. Meditation was an important aspect of what he did, clearing his mind of worldly issues and trivial concerns. It helped to keep him in balance in a world that was anything but.

Though the incense filled the room, it could not disguise the alluring scent of jasmine, a perfume she favored. He knew she would seek him out once her duties to her father were completed; she always did so. Of course, this time was different. While she had no issue with entering through the front door, this time he felt her presence behind him without so much as an announcement.

"Leaving so soon, Beloved?"

The Detective opened his eyes. "The will of the Master must be done," he answered succinctly.

"Of course. It is that you have been gone for so long this time. I missed you."

"As have I."

Tilting his head to the side, the man caught sight of Talia walking around him until she stood in front of him. He followed her every step until he faced forward, looking up her long legs, flat stomach, and alluring face.

"You only just arrived last night," Talia continued her complaint, though she seemed amused by it all. "I was hoping to enjoy your company longer." Her eye narrowed. "Or is it my company that leaves much to be desired?"

"A lowly soldier can only be blessed by your favor," the Detective replied. "Were it not for my orders, I would relish in your company, Princess."

That seemed to satisfy the dark-haired woman. "You have done many things in the name of the Demon; for that you should be rewarded." She held out her arms, beckoning him to her. "Accept the fruits of your labor, Beloved."

The Detective hauled himself onto his feet, stepping towards the princess and entering her embrace. As her arms wrapped around him, he did the same, holding her tightly against him. Tilting his head down, he met her lips in a sweet kiss. Unlike this morning, it wasn't as chaste as he feasted on her. Though he was but a mere servant, always seeking the approval of his master, the princess was another he'd willingly give his life for.

All too soon, the kiss came to an end, the princess pulling her head back before he could continue his feasting. "You are too consumed with pleasing my father," Talia spoke, looking coyly up at him. "You should be placing your considerable energies elsewhere."

"All I do is for you," the Detective assured her, squeezing his arms tightly around the woman. "The Master is an unforgiving man—you know this. If he were to know of our union, he would have me put to death. To have you, I must do all I can to keep his approval."

"You speak so lowly of yourself." Her eye began to twinkle with mirth. "And you underestimate my father's opinion of you. He would approve of our courtship, that I have no doubt."

"Still, I think it would be better if he heard of us when I am Ubu rather than a lowly detective."

Talia's eye widened. "Such lofty goals." Then her eye narrowed. "Though I must ask, is that all you seek?"

"What else is there?" the Detective asked rhetorically. In truth, that was the highest he could go. Only a fool desired more than that and he was not one.

"More than you could dream of," Talia unexpectedly answered him.

He frowned under helmet. Something about those words unsettled him, but before he could inquire further, the princess said, "Come, there is much to do for your preparations and I have my own task to complete. As you would say, a fool's errand," she added with mirth twinkling in her eyes. The look disappeared just as quickly as her authoritative tone returned. "You will be leaving for America at dawn."

"As expected," the Detective said as he pulled out of her arms. The two of them exited the small room, leaving the incense burning behind them. "I'm assuming Metropolis, New York, and Washington are my destinations."

Talia shook her head, her hair brushing against her shoulders. "No. Though it would do much for furthering our goals, neither of those cities are pit locations."

The Detective frowned. That was a disappointment, especially since he was familiar with those cities. In fact, he was sure that knowledge was the reason he was given his latest task. "Then where am I departing for?"

"Gotham, Beloved."


	9. File Full Of Headlines

"You know, I'm starting to think whoever this Bat guy was, he was a very nice boy for like twenty years. I mean, look at all these toys! Santa must've _really_ liked him!"

To say that the armory Batman kept was impressive would be very accurate. It was a pretty large room loaded with stores of weapons, all of which had been meticulously cataloged and arranged to specifications Superman wasn't quite sure of.

Of course, to get into this room had required a little time. Due to the owner's absence and the cave being offline for so long, when it had been reactivated all of the security features had kicked in. The moment he and Flash had approached the door, they had been treated to several deterrents, ranging from high-voltage electric shocks and knockout gas. Those had been some of the milder ones and Superman had decided that he didn't want to keep pressing his luck. Even he was feeling the electrical discharges that were used.

So Zatanna had been called in to disable everything, which she had done. By then, Wonder Woman had joined them, looking a lot better than when they had been having their meeting. Before the magician had left though, she gave them a warning. "_Don't touch anything unless you want to go through life without all five of your digits."_

Once inside, the Kryptonian had given a low whistle at the amount of equipment the former vigilante had kept. Smoke pellets, grapple lines and grapple guns, and flashbang grenades were the more identifiable ones. Flash had been the one to find the bat-shaped projectiles—"What the heck are these? Batarangs?" he had asked. Oddly enough, there was an overwhelming amount of them, taking up an entire corner of the room.

At first the Man of Steel figured the vigilante had needed a large supply of the batarangs, but when Flash began playing with them, he ended up collapsing out of the blue. He was out for about thirty seconds before moaning. "Oh man, someone got any aspirin? I've got a killer headache."

Using his x-ray vision, Superman discovered the edges of the batarang the red-clad man had been playing with had a coating of some sort of sedative. That had prompted him to look at the other batarangs and discover there was more to those than met the eye. While there were plenty that were just simple throwing projectiles, there were others that had computer circuitry inside them, some with bombs in them, and others with attachments he wasn't quite sure what for. Needless to say, that made the three of them still any wandering hands.

"Seriously, what was in that stuff?" Flash complained as he sat against the door, his hand pressed against his head. "I've never had a headache this bad for so long."

"Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with the cellular makeup of that particular formula," the Kryptonian apologized. "I haven't seen it before."

"Which raises the question of where he obtained it," Wonder Woman—Diana—stated as she examined a shelf full of what was innocently labeled as knockout gas. The small metal balls were lined up in a padded styrofoam bedding, though a few of the circular groves were empty. "Either he has access to it, or he designed it himself."

Superman looked to the Amazon. "You think he could've made his very own sedative?"

"It's not outside the realm of possibility," she replied as she moved onto another shelf, this one with boxes of tiny marbles. These weren't clearly labeled as the previous shelf. "I only had time to familiarize myself with the layout of this place and some of the equipment I saw speaks to a very sophisticated mind."

"Is she talking about the lab?" Flash asked. "Because that was pretty damn high-tech to be sitting around in a cave. I mean, that microscope alone is better than the one I use and it was just recently upgraded."

There was a thought. It was pretty obvious that this Batman had access to a lot of technology, so it begged the question of how he was getting it. Did he have a supplier or was he infiltrating a tech firm and lifting what he needed? There was also the possibility that he was paying for all of this equipment, so that would indicate that he was rich.

Looking to a shelf, Superman noticed one of them was empty, a styrofoam bed with a painfully empty notch in it. Fortunately there was a label here, which he read "Electromagnetic Pulse Transmitter." So this was where Zatanna got it.

"Notice how there isn't any dust?" Flash suddenly pointed out. "I mean, this place is _really_ clean."

"I'm not following you," Superman replied with a frown. Now that the red-clad mentioned it, there was a distinct lack of dust or anything that indicated someone had been here aside from the missing EMP device.

"Well, unless someone's been doing routine dusting, I don't think anyone's been back here in a long time."

"Not necessarily," Diana pointed out. "The room itself may be air-tight, so dust particles could not have entered the room."

"Huh, didn't think about that," Flash admitted."

"However, it is possible that it is not, in which case it just confirms that Batman hasn't been here, which we already knew," the Amazon continued. She then shook her head. "I don't believe we can learn much else here, I'm afraid."

"I think you're right," Superman agreed. "Let's head back to the others and see what they found."

Leaving the armory, the three heroes made their way back to the giant supercomputer, finding J'onn, Hawkgirl, and John Stewart in front of it, Zatanna mysteriously not present. As they approach, Superman noticed there was a strained countenance among the three. "Where's Zatanna?" he asked once they were within talking distance.

"Upstairs," Hawkgirl replied, nodding her towards the stairs. "Went to look for a bathroom, which is just as well. We all need to talk."

"So there are bathroom's in the place," Flash replied, looking towards the stairs. "I've just been using some bushes outside."

"Hold it, Hot Shot," John said. "She asked that none of us go up there. Has to do with Batman's secret identity, so I highly suggest we do so."

"More importantly," Hawkgirl butted in, glaring at the two men. "We found something in this Batcomputer and it concerns all of you."

Hitting a key on the keyboard, the screen was suddenly consumed with a window, revealing the front of a newspaper from Central City. On it was the headline: **THEY CALL HIM THE FLASH**.

Flash stared at the screen slack-jawed. "That's...that's back when I first started."

Hawkgirl then hit a button and a new image appeared, this one from the Daily Planet. **BLUE ANGEL SAVES FALLING GIRL**. This time it was Superman's turn to look with wide eyes. "That one's me," he said softly.

"There's more." Hawkgirl began hitting the button over and over, revealing newspapers from Detroit, Gateway, and a host of other cities. Occasionally there were newspapers that lacked a huge headline that involved any one of the heroes, but it seemed like many of them were solely focused on one of their accomplishments.

"As you can see, this guy has been keeping track of us," John spoke up once the shock settled in, his arms crossed over his chest. "Despite what Zatanna's told us about him, I get the feeling he kept plenty away from her."

"Not to mention she's too close to this to be objective," Hawkgirl added.

"This is very alarming," Diana agreed. "But I noticed there was a lack of articles concerning you and J'onn. It seems like he was only aware of Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, and myself."

"That's because I wasn't active until after the Gotham Fire," the Thanagarian explained. "So even if he knew about me, there weren't any press clippings around for him to follow."

"Which leaves J'onn," Flash pipped up. "Considering we just met, I'm guessing you weren't doing hero work here until recently."

"To the contrary," J'onn responded as he typed on the keyboard, one of the earlier images appearing, this one from some newspaper in a place called Middletown. Pointing to an article in the corner, one next to a magic show, the Martian said, "This is where I am mentioned."

Superman looked at the article, reading about a police detective solving a ten-year old cold case. "John Jones," he mouthed silently before it occurred to him how phonetically close it was to J'onn J'onzz.

"Well, aren't we all special," Flash spoke sarcastically. "So this guy's been following us for years."

There was a silence, one that wasn't broken until J'onn began, "There is one image I do find out of place." Again, he typed a few keys and the Middletown paper was replaced by one from the Gotham Star. **STAND UP AT JEZEBEL** the headline read. A quick scan told the Kryptonian that it was about a robbery attempt at the Jezebel theater, headed by the Joker.

"While there are a few exceptions, these images are about us, this one being the strangest addition," the Martian continued. "It seems out of place with the other articles."

"Maybe he placed it in the wrong file," Flash suggested with a shrug.

Superman frowned. Considering how meticulous the armory was, it didn't seem like the Batman would make a careless mistake like that. They just didn't fit.

However, he heard approaching footsteps from the stairs and he knew this little revelation was just about finished. "Zatanna's coming," he informed the group, prompting J'onn to close the window and in its place open another. In contrast to the image, this one looked to be a word document.

"This was also found when we were going through the computer's files," J'onn explained, effectively changing the subject. "And this part particularly caught my eye."

A section of the document was highlighted, drawing their attention to it. _Something's changed in the city_ it read. _I have the feeling that there are eyes watching me, wherever I go. I've tried to determine their origin with little success. Without proof, there is little else I can say other than I intend to figure out the source of these watchers._

"There are multiple mentionings of these watchful eyes," the Martian said, flashing through several documents with the touch of a key. "In the beginning he would have at least a paragraph discussing this, but those would shorten to one line sentences. The only exceptions that were found were when his full attention was on something else."

"Such as?" Diana prompted. "For someone as sensitive as he, I find it strange he did not confront these stalkers."

"As far as we can make it, whoever it was didn't want to confront him," John explained. "We find some references to moving shadows and failed attempts to force a confrontation. The only success he found was in eluding them at times."

"And the times he didn't mention them?"

"He was involved in a battle," J'onn answered the Amazon. "Primarily two individuals as far as we can tell. One is a mud monster that attacked the Wayne Enterprises building and the other is a man simply known as Hush."

"Don't forget the Joker entries," Hawkgirl added. "I have to admit, after reading through several of these, this guy was a real piece of work."

"The Joker?" Superman questioned.

"Him too. But I mean this Batman guy. I don't think I've ever heard of a person as anal as him."

"That was his middle name after all," Zatanna said then, finally arriving behind them. "So, you told them about the creepy eyes in the night thing?" As she asked this, the magician weaved her way through the group, taking a seat in the high-back chair.

"We were just finishing with that," J'onn answered her.

"Question," Flash spoke up as he pointed towards the bottom of the window. "Those icons there, what are those?"

Zatanna looked at the mentioned icons, examining them for a moment before saying, "Looks like there's video footage to go with these reports." Then she addressed the computer, "Computer, bring up video footage files."

Eyes shot to other eyes as the rest of the group looked to each other, the computer performing the voice command in the background. "What kind of footage?" John asked, sounding wary.

Zatanna spun around in the chair to face the Lantern. Raising a hand up, she pointed to her eyes as she replied, "Batman had camera's installed in his eye lens so he could record and review crime scenes and prospective suspects later on." Behind her the computer finished her request, bringing up a much larger window filled with columns after columns of folders. Each one was labeled with a six digit number, one Superman quickly realized were dates. The only exceptions were the last three folders, each one labeled as _Untitled 1, 2, _and _3._ Curiously enough, if these files were indeed labeled after dates, they didn't start until after the infamouns Night of Ice.

"That's...a lot of videos," Hawkgirl eventually said, staring at the window.

"So," Zatanna began nonchalantly, "which one does everyone want to watch first?"

* * *

"_And that's your decision?"_

"_It is."_

"_Very well. I cannot say I'm not disappointed by your choice, but you are a young man with his whole life before him. I can't expect you to want to stay with the troupe forever."_

_The room was an office, neatly organized though that may have had to do with its small size. It had a homey quality to it, as if its owner wanted to make the space as comfortable as possible. On the wooden walls were framed reviews for a magician's troupes, bolded letters declaring its wonderfulness. There were pictures as well of various people, mostly in black and white colors._

_A desk sat in the middle of the room, two men sitting on either side. One was a distinguished gentlemen, dark hair neatly groomed with a pencil moustache. His clothes were pressed and presentable, which stood in stark contrast to the young man who was drenched in sweat, his own clothes clinging to his muscular frame._

"_Thank you for understanding, Mr. Zatara," the young man said, his face with regret._

_Zatara waved his hand. "It has been a most unexpected pleasure, John. I wish I knew more people like you." A small smile began growing on his face. "I do admit though, I did think your tenaciousness was wrongly placed."_

"_I get that alot."_

_The two shared a chuckle with each other. It was clear they were both comfortable with each other, though their relationship was still unknown._

"_Since you do intend on leaving, may I ask of you a favor?"_

_The younger man nodded. "Of course."_

_Suddenly, the older man looked very much his age, a weariness appearing on his face. "As much as it pains me, I will not be around forever. That is the natural order of things, of course, but there is still much I wish and need to do. It would help me greatly if you were to do a small thing for me."_

"_I'll do my best."_

_The small smile came back, but it didn't have nearly the same fondness as the previous one. "I need you to promise me, should anything happen to me, that you'll keep an eye on my daughter." Seeing the slacken look on the youth, Zatara continued, "I understand that you may be busy and I do not wish to inconvenience you, but it would ease my mind if I knew someone I could trust would make sure my daughter was looked after. I'm not saying you need to involve yourself in her life, but to occasionally make sure she is well. That's all I ask."_

_The young man opened and closed his mouth a couple times, seeming taken back by the request. Ultimately, his resolve hardened and he responded, "You have my word, Mr. Zatara."_

_A bigger grin appeared on Zatara's face. "I cannot express my thanks enough, John. Though I do believe we are past such formalities. Please, call me John, Bruce."_

_Bruce stiffened. "How did…"_

"_Like you, there is more to me than meets the eye," Zatara said, mirth twinkling in his eyes. "Do not worry, I have not revealed my knowledge to anyone and shall continue to do so."_

_Though guarded, Bruce nodded in response. "Thank you. Is there anything else?"_

"_I believe we are done here. Oh, and if you would be so kind to hang around for the San Francisco show, I would appreciate that. That one is shaping to be a big one."_

"_I think I can do that."_

_Zatara nodded before waving him off. "Be well, John."_

_Taking that as his cue, Bruce stood up and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. He stood there outside the door, letting out a sigh. He seemed bothered after that meeting, but it was clear he could do nothing to change what had happened. Moving away, he began to head to a different part of the room he was in, weaving his way through props and equipment._

"_Pick a card, any card."_

_The young man stopped and turned his head to a chest, looking bemused. Seated on the chest was a young girl, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and both of her hands holding up a spread of playing cards._

"_Still trying this one?" Bruce asked as he did as ordered, pulling out one of the cards and taking a glance at it._

_The girl ignored him as she folded the cards into a deck, splitting them in half before shuffling them back together. Fanning them out again, she demanded, "Now put your card back in." Doing so, Bruce stuck the card in a different place than where he had picked it, the girl once more beginning to shuffle her deck. The look she got on her face stood in contrast to the rather tight t-shirt and short shorts she wore. She looked more like a girl ready to go out to the movies than an aspiring magician._

_Finally, she stopped her shuffling, , holding the deck out to the young man. "Cut it, please." Again, he did as told, picking up half the deck and letting her put her half on top of it. Then, staring at the top card intently, she held one of her hands over it, her fingers dancing in an intricate pattern more for show than any real need. Her father had done that many a time to add dramatics to the trick and she was no acception. "Arba arbadak," she chanted before slapping her hand down. Pulling card off, she stared at it intently before a smirk appeared on her face. "Is this your card?" she asked flipping it over so he could see. "The two of hearts?"_

_Bruce examined the card, glancing between it in her before he also smirked. The girl's eyes shined with excitement. "It is, isn't it?" she declared more than asked._

_In response, the young man reached a hand out to her, letting his fingertips caress her cheek. This caused her to widen her eyes she stared back at him. Moving his hand until it was behind her ear, he then flicked his wrist, a card appearing in his grasp. "Actually, this is my card," he finally said, bringing it out to show her._

_Instantly, her face soured. "Joker," she grumbled as she stared at the card before sarcastically adding, "Ha, Ha, John, you're a riot. You should really consider being one of our clowns."_

"_Whatever you say, Zana," Bruce replied, still smirking at her cheekily. "You're getting better though. I almost lost sight of my card."_

"You're _not the one supposed to be watching it," Zana complained as she stood up from the chest. "And you're not supposed to show up the magician."_

_Bruce raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't seem to mind when I did that to Zachery."_

"_Well, Zachery's a pompous ass. He deserved to get shown up."_

_Starting to walk again, the girl staying at his side, the two of them heading for the exit. "So what did Dad want to talk to you about?" she asked boredly._

"_Just a few things," the young man shrugged. "Wanted to make sure we were prepared for San Francisco."_

"_He's such a worry wort. I mean, we've got you here. You'll make sure nothing goes wrong."_

"_Well, that is my job."_

_Zana nodded before her face lit up. Suddenly, she shot out in front of him, stopping them both. "Hey, guess what?"_

"_What?"_

_Her grin grew wider. _"We are now approaching Gotham Airport. All passengers are asked to return to their seats and re-fasten their seatbelts. We will be landing momentarily."

The Detective opened his eyes. The small jet he was on was lit up with light, showing him that he was all alone save for the pilot and co-pilot. No need for a stewardess since this wasn't a pleasure flight; the announcement was merely a recording for the sake of meeting up with aviation protocol. He had questioned the need for such a plane, but Talia had insisted he use it. He would've been fine slipping in on a cargo plane with fresh men for his assignment, but the princess had said all the men he needed were already in Gotham. The private jet was a sign of her father's growing respect for him.

Reluctant, he accepted the flight, which now brought him to that dream. If he wasn't mistaken, this Bruce person looked like a younger version of himself. He didn't recall such an encounter before, which just reminded him of his long forgotten past. Amnesiac, he had been found by members of the Demon's Head and rescued. Anything before waking up in a bed in a cave was completely gone from him. If it wasn't for Ra's al Ghul taking him in, he wasn't sure where he would be now.

Thoughts lingering on the dream, he soon found himself looking at the girl, Zana. It was very clear she was interested in him, though what became of her he didn't know. He did get the feeling he had seen her though, recently even. In fact, she seemed to share an uncanny resemblance to that witch that had shown up with his prey.

Now there was a question: what was she doing there? The Detective had made sure he had sent men to his intended targets; yet, there she was. Because she wasn't one of his targets, he had simply put a chokehold on her and left her unconscious. It may have been more prudent to kill her, but he didn't intend on killing people needlessly. It was one thing when it was necessary, another when not. Besides, she wouldn't be waking up until it was far too late to help the Kryptonian and the others.

Glancing out of the window, the Detective noticed the plane was descending. The ground was a blur beneath them, slowly rushing up to meet them. There was a sudden jerk as the jet's wheels touched down on asphalt, soon followed by another. The engines on the wings seemed to grow louder as the flaps were angled to assist with stopping the plane, breaks on the wheels pressing into the rubber. The dark-clad man felt his body pulled forward as the law of motion demanded he continue moving forward until equilibrium was reached, his back going back into his seat once that equilibrium was met.

With most of their speed gone, the plane beginning to taxi along the runway, the Detective undid his seatbelt. Standing up, he walked to the front of the plane, opening the door to the cockpit. He immediately received glances from the pilots, who returned their attention to their dashboard. Ignoring them, the Detective looked out the windshield, seeing that they were heading towards one of the hangers. "Your men are waiting for you," the co-pilot spoke up as they drew closer. "They are currently in the hanger."

"Understood." Still watching, one of the hanger's doors began to slide open, indicating which one they were heading for. Stepping back, he closed the door and moved to one of the seats, taking a seat in it as he waited for the jet to stop.

Once it did, he was out of the chair and opening the plane's door. It pushed out before swinging down, forming steps to allow him to climb to the ground. Descending them, he immediately spotted several military-grade trucks, a ninja standing at attention in front of each one. The moment his foot touched the cement floor, the Detective called out, "All trucks are loaded and ready?"

All of the ninjas nodded once. "Then let's head out." As one, the ninjas moved to the passenger side doors of the trucks and climbed into the cabs. Each truck was started simultaneously, their headlights turning on. Marching towards one of the trucks, the Detective headed towards the back and pulled back the cloth flap. Immediately he saw the back of the truck was filled with other ninjas, each one seated on a bench that covered all sides of the bed. On the floor were a couple crates, ones he didn't pay much mind to. Climbing up, he took a seat on an empty spot on the end of a bench, letting the flap fall down behind him. A moment later, the truck began to move.

His operation was underway.

* * *

Chazz had the connection. A friend of a friend had access to the hangers at the Gotham Airport and was willing to look the other way with a few bills in his pockets. It was an easy choice since the hangers were only used for uptight rich folks with their private jets. Security would be light here and would make for an easy score.

Chazz and Jack had seen the plane come in. Knowing nothing about it except that it had to be carrying some self-important asshole, the two followed it to its hanger, taking the back entrance so they could get the jump on the chumps.

What they found was a hanger filled with military trucks and cargo. Fortunately the door they used was hidden by some of the crates, which they ducked behind. "What the fuck is this?" Jack hissed.

Chazz shushed him. Something about this wasn't right and he didn't want to get heard in here. There were guys dressed in grey from head to toe, swords hanging from their backs. Chazz knew he wasn't a smart guy, but he knew it took a badass mother fucker to wear one of those. Why else wear one if ya couldn't use it?

That was when the door to the plane opened. If the ninjas were scary-looking, the badass in black to climb out of the plane made him nearly shit himself. Jesus Christ that guy was big! What did he bench? 300?

Of course, it had to be Jack that spoke up again. "Oh shit, Chazz, is that the Bat?"

Squinting his eyes, Chazz stared at the man. He was in all black and had the cape. But the headgear was different. He had always heard the Bat's face was terrifying, but the bulky-looking thing this guy wore didn't have nearly the same effect. It had those horn things yeah, but Chazz didn't feel like pissing himself like he had been told.

The next thing Chazz knew, Jack was dragging him back out the door. He at least had the state of mind to stay quiet until the door closed and they were outside. "The hell is wrong with you?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm telling ya, that's the Bat!" Jack shouted at him, fear noticeable in his voice.

Chazz rolled his eyes. "No it wasn't. You just got your panties in a knot."

"Fuck you, dipshit. I've seen the Bat and that was him."

"No you didn't."

"Yeah I did. He broke my arm a few years ago, so I know. Besides, did you look at him? He looks nothing like those Bat-fakes running around!"

Jack had a point. If this was the Bat, then they had to report it to the boss. But if this wasn't the right Bat, then they'd end up like Charlie and Darren. They had to make sure he was the real thing.

"I say we make sure this is the real guy. You remember what happen to the guys that brought him the wrong Batman."

Jack stared at him. "Chazz, I swear on my mother's life, that was him." Stuffing a hand into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone. "I'm calling this in. You go get the car and we'll follow 'em."

Chazz stared at his friend before finally giving in. "Fine, let's get the car. I hope you're right about this cause I don't want to die."

* * *

The flashback scene is based off the one in Batman: The Animated Series. There are differences to be sure, but the card trick ending up with the Joker card was a rather nice touch by the creators. I always got a kick out of that.


	10. Home Movies

If it wasn't for the ingenious invention of fast-forward, viewing Bruce's home movies would've been a pain in the ass.

Night after night, the guy had made these videos, saved them on his computer, and dated them for easy access, assuming he recalled what happened on each and every one of these things. It was alarming to see just how obsessed he was with this Batman thing.

Of course, Zatanna found herself keeping on her toes for some of the videos. One thing he had neglected to tell her was that someone other than herself had figured out who he was. Though his fight with the bandaged guy—Hush, she thought his name was—had been intense, Hush had used his real name a few times. Things could've gotten awkward real quick had she not been quick to skip over those small seconds.

Of course that had Flash complaining. "Why'd you do that? What did mummy guy say?"

Giving him a look a parent would give to their whining brat, Zatanna calmly answered, "Mummy guy was about to say something you shouldn't hear. Any of you. It'd make your virgin ears bleed."

Suffice to say, that hadn't gone well with the others. Fortunately, they were easily distracted when an explosion went off on the screen. Whatever the blast had been, they were all treated to seeing the bottom of Hush's boot slam in Bruce's face, follow by Hush grabbing onto one of the horns of his cowl and using it to hold Bruce still while he nail him with a fist.

When Hush went for another punch, Bruce had blocked it out of nowhere, before yelling out as he charged into mummy guy. The two then pushed against each other, neither one willing to give up the stalemate until Hush suddenly moved to a side, sidestepping out of Bruce's way until he ran right into a bunch of barrels. It was pretty comical to watch.

But when Bruce turned to look at Hush holding a detonator, he barely just had time to whip his head back around and cover them with his arms as the barrels exploded, sending him flying through the air.

"Ouch, that had to hurt," Flash remarked. "Anybody got popcorn? This is better than pay-per-view."

Unfortunately, due to the blast, they lost half of the screen and the audio went out, so they ended up finishing the fight and Bruce's frantic battle with that giant mud monster through one side of the screen and without sound. That had put a damper on Flash's praise.

Aside from the fight though, much of it was basically Bruce running around Gotham and beating the ever living crap out of criminals, thugs, and rapists. Zatanna would give him this though, he kept coming up with different ways to do that. Then there were the interrogations, usually from high buildings and usually ending with the criminal crying, screaming, pissing their pants, or a combination of all three.

Those parts had sparked a heated debate amongst the others, Superman in particular. Apparently he was uncomfortable with threatening others for information.

"I don't see why he had to drop them off the roof. It was totally unnecessary."

Wonder Woman backed him up. "There are other easier ways to obtain the truth."

Surprisingly, it was Hawkgirl who disagreed. "Not all of us have magical ropes from Zeus that force people to tell us the truth, Princess."

Wonder Woman frowned. "Hephaestus forged the Lasso of Tr—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You told me like ten times. The point still stands though, not everyone has your lasso and not everyone can hear other people's pulse rates go up when bad people lie. For us mere mortal, we have to get inventive."

"But what Batman did is tantamount to torture," Superman protested. "He's using their fear to terrorize them. How is that any different from what torturers do? He can get any of those men to say anything he wants, even if it wasn't true."

Hawkgirl crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright, how many times did someone give him a false confession? How many admitted to a crime they didn't commit?"

There was a brief pause as the attention was focused on the Man of Steel, mostly to see if their own estimates were similar or not. Even Zatanna was trying to run a count in her head as she tried to count the number of times she saw Bruce get a bad tip.

Apparently, even aliens had difficulty counting. "Well…" Superman began, but trailed off just as quickly.

"The answer is zero. Not once did he get a bad confession." The Thanagarian paused to let that sink it before beginning a new point. "I think what we're failing to address her is that we're dealing with one smart son of a bitch. Every action he's done on these tapes were pre-planned and executed as efficiently as possible. That's not the actions of a guy just winging it. So looking at it that way, you can see that he's not just going after random people to interrogate, just the ones he knows has the information he wants. If he were a real torturer, he'd be terrorizing the entire city, not just the criminal element. There would be no discrimination."

"Hey, I've been saying the same thing," Flash pointed out. "You just have to look at all the toys he's got in this cave to figure that out."

"Being smart isn't the point though," Stewart disagreed. "Hawkgirl's right about him going after select people, but torture is still torture no matter who it's being done to. There's no way you can justify it."

"Tell that to the American government," Hawkgirl muttered.

Stewart glared at her. "What was that?"

"I believe we have gotten off point," J'onn spoke up then. "Our main objective was to determine the identity of the presence stalking the Batman, was it not?"

"All we've been able to see are a bunch of moving shadows though," Flash replied. "All we can say for sure is that there are people out there following him, but no clue about them."

"It seems like some of Batman's description was accurate," J'onn agreed with a nod. "He mentioned in his records that no matter how many times he tried to confront them, they would avoid a meeting."

"And there's no guarantee that he did get a better look at them either," Stewart added, his temper calming down, though he pointedly avoided looking at Hawkgirl. "At this point in the videos, the only major incident we can confirm is his last two weeks against the Joker."

Zatanna considered that. Perhaps there was a way they could speed up this research of theirs. "Computer, can you identify in Batman's entries whether he positively identified his stalkers?"

The supercomputer immediately began processing the request, the cave falling silent aside from the sounds of the computer and the occasional chirp from the bats above. Eventually, the search was completed and a small window appeared with the results. "Negative," the magician read aloud, feeling disappointed. Looked as if one mystery was going unsolved.

"I guess that settles that," Superman said as he stared at the screen.

"Not necessarily," Stewart spoke up. "Zatanna's command was about all of his entries, right? But if we check his video logs, there are three videos not dated like the rest. I'd be willing to bet that there aren't any written entries for them either."

Immediately, the magician began typing on the computer, going to Bruce's written logs. Going to the last on the list, she looked at the time and date the last entry. "Lantern's right," she confirmed. "There aren't any entries for the last three videos."

"Then perhaps that is where we should pick up our search," Wonder Woman suggested, her hands moving to rest on her hips.

Immediately, Zatanna felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. While it was a sound idea, the dark-haired woman felt a sense of dread at the thought of watching the third and last video. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was on that one and she wasn't sure if she could force herself to watch. Swallowing a growing lump in her throat, Zatanna decided to prolong that experience for as long as she could, accessing the first Untitled video.

Like all the others, a view of the Batcave appeared; however, this time he was walking towards the Batmobile. For the most part, Bruce had been standing still when he activated the recorders in his lens, but this one stood out for already being motion. The canopy of the car was open and he leapt in, the canopy sliding shut a moment later. Soon, the car was rocketing down the tunnel as usual. It wasn't until the feed was out of the tunnel and on its way to Gotham that Zatanna recalled what was going on.

"_Hey, can you hear me on this thing?"_

Several heads perked up as Bruce replied, "_Loud and clear."_ The attention of the cave was soon thrust upon her. "Was that your voice?" Flash asked surprised.

Zatanna shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I did tell all of you I was here when all of this went down."

"I don't remember hearing that!"

"Well, you know now."

Unfortunately, a terrible thought hit Zatanna. Throughout her communication with Bruce on this night, she had used his name throughout. Oh Lord, this was going to be another Hush watching with her ready to hit the skip button at every mentioning. There had to be a better way to do this. If only she could edit the video…

Wait, she had a goddamn supercomputer in front of her. It should be able to do anything she wanted it to. Pausing the footage, Zatanna began typing a command in. "Sorry guys, if y'all could turn around for a second, I'll be finished in a jiffy."

"Mind telling us why?" Hawkgirl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Secret identity stuff. Unless you want me hitting skip like last time, just do me a favor and turn around."

Thankfully they all turned around, though Zatanna heard some grumblings from the people without alter egos. Let them whine to themselves if they wanted, the magician was not going to expose Bruce's secret if she could help it. She had promised him and Alfred she wouldn't—even if he was doing crazy things right now.

As her fingers punched in keys, Zatanna mentally read out _Replace all verbal usages of Bruce with Batman by USER Zatanna Zatara in video logs._ There, that should do it. Hitting the enter key, she waited until the computer gave her an affirmation on her command, a message of COMPLETE appearing on screen.

"Alright, all done." Starting the video up, she heard the other heroes turning back around. Watching as countryside blurred around the Batmobile, Zatanna decided to fast forward until they hit the city streets. No one else complained about that choice.

Releasing the button, they were greeted by Zatanna's own voice complaining "—_idea what it's like having to go through a million different traffic camera to find one_—"

"_Zana, where's the truck?" Batman interrupted her._

"_It's on Opal and 1st, north side of downtown, heading west. Just to let you know, the truck isn't alone. There's two armored trucks, one in front and one behind. They had some real dirty windshields so I couldn't see who's in them and how many._"

"_That's fine. Just let me know if they change streets."_

"_Will do. They're passing 2nd Street now."_

"Mind telling us what's going on?" Stewart asked as he continued to watch the screen.

"The Joker had made an announcement that he was sending a bomb into the city," Zatanna answered him. "Right now, I'm tracking down where the truck with the bomb is and Batman is going to stop them.

That was when red and blue lights began flashing from the screen. "_Uhh, BATMAN?"_ Zatanna jerked her head back at the clashing sound of voices. Apparently the computer did as she instructed it to, but instead of using her voice to make the cover more natural, it just used a feminine one from the computer banks and substituted it in. God, she hoped she didn't say Bruce's name too many times; this was just jarring. "_You do realize you have some cops on your tail."_

"_I noticed," Batman responded dryly._

"_I hope so, cause you've got three of them on you. One behind you, another one behind you and to the left, and the other to the right. Huh, it's like watching a diamond moving down the street."_

_Bruce activated his radio then, listening intently to it. _"—_patch, this is Unit 71 over. No sign of the Joker's bomb, over._"

"_Roger, Unit 71. Keeping looking._"

"_Hey, Dispatch, this is Unit 29. Me, Ramsey, and Davis spotted the Batmobile hauling ass down 15th. We're following 'em, over._"

_There was a brief moment of silence before dispatch ordered,_ "_Unit 29, you stay on his ass, you hear me? If there's anyone that knows where that bomb is, it'll be him. Stay on him and give us frequent updates, got it? Over._"

"_Smart guy,_" Zatanna remarked on screen at the same time Hawkgirl did next to her. "_You should tell that commissioner friend of yours to give that guy a promotion."_

"_Noted," he deadpanned. "Where's the truck?"_

"_They just passed 10th street, still on Opal. So, do you have a plan for this? Cause now would be a good time to have one."_

"_We'll be finding out soon, won't we?"_

"_Finding out? BATMAN! This is not the time to be making stuff up!"_

And making up is exactly what he did. At least, that's what she considered Bruce blowing up the back end of an 18-wheeler and ramming through the engine of an armored suburban. While Bruce didn't see the semi-truck flipping over onto its side and skidding down the street, he did see all the scrap iron and pieces of a car motor pelt and scrape against the windshield of the Batmobile. That was kinda neat to watch actually. Hearing the squealing of rubber burning due to friction, Bruce swung the car around, coming to a stop where he could see two policemen pointing shotguns at the Joker's thugs in the leftovers of the truck.

Once he started moving again, turning onto the street with the fallen semi, Zatanna's voice came over the speakers again. "_Alright, I'll admit it. That was pretty cool."_

"You said it," Flash agreed.

"Thanks."

Of course, the twist with the bombs showed up soon, with Batman standing on the turned-over truck, staring into the empty trailer. "_Uhh, BATMAN? I think we have a problem."_

"_What is it?"_

"_I'm picking up at least two more trucks."_

Without needing to be asked, Zatanna explained, "Turned out this was a decoy. The Joker had two more trucks in the city and there was no way to know if they were also fakes or if they both had bombs. We called in the GCPD to handle one while we took care of the other. As it turned out, they were both duds."

Hitting fast forward again, Zatanna waited until Bruce was a few blocks away from the next truck, staring it down as the caravan approached his location. Releasing the button, again she heard her voice asking the pig-headed man about his next stunt. "_So, what's the plan?"_ _Silence_. "_You do have a plan, right?"_

_All Bruce did was hit the accelerator, the squealing of rubber spinning on asphalt being heard before the Batmobile shot down the street._

"_Uhh, BATMAN? What are you doing?"_

_No answer._

"_Are you playing chicken with him?! Is that your plan?! You're insane! In! Sane! Are you listening me? BATMAN? BATMAN!_"

Zatanna frowned at that. She didn't remember sounding so naggy. She had definitely been alarmed and there was the passing thought that Bruce had some kind of death wish, but now that she watched the footage, she was beginning to wonder whether Bruce just muted her voice or just ignored her. Kinda looked like the second one at the moment.

Of course, she went completely silence when Bruce spun his car around and began driving it in reverse. It took a moment before Stewart exclaimed, "He isn't going to do what I think he is!"

A second later there was a loud crash and the camera jerking back from the collision. An instant later, the car began spinning around, Bruce shifting his gears in time to face down the right way on the street, the 18-wheeler at his side and the second armored truck right in front of him. With a push of the accelerator, Bruce rammed the Batmobile into the second truck and forced it into a streetlamp.

The next thing they saw was Bruce just sitting there, trying to catch his breath before he pulled back from the smashed side of the truck, just in time to watch as the 18-wheeler had all of it tires blown out, which caused the truck to weave out of control until the trailer began to jackknife, and finally flipped over, rolling over itself several times before coming to a stop on its side.

"_Okay, now you're just showing off."_

"No, GL, I don't think he did what you thought he was gonna do," Flash eventually said. "Heck, I had no idea he was going to do all of that. Crazy, wasn't it?"

"It got the job done," Wonder Woman replied, her eyes narrowed somewhat at the screen. "It was reckless though. Everything had to go exactly as he planned it for it all to work out that way."

Hawkgirl snorted at that. "Which brings us back to what I said: this guy is pretty damn smart."

"I don't think anyone's debating that at this point," Superman said in an attempt to pacify the winged woman. "But this does convince me about some of things I heard about him, that he was crazy and violent."

"Says the guy that punches giant robots for a living," Flash jabbed.

Superman looked as if he were about to argue, but Stewart cut him off. "Knock it off. We've been over this before. What we need to do is use what we know about him to figure out what his next move will be. It's obvious he has some sort of plan, otherwise why would he bother attacking us?"

"Do you have any suggestions?" Hawkgirl inquired.

"It'd be easiest to find out where he holing up," the green-glowing man replied. "To do that, we can use those traps of his to get some kind of idea. Obviously he has some access to a lab of some kind. If we can isolate a location, it'll make it easier for us to find him."

"I think you're onto something John," Superman agreed with him. "Do we have any of his traps here?"

"Aside from the nanites in Wonder Woman, I don't believe so," J'onn answered him. "But it is likely they were destroyed when we used the EMP. The trap set for Hawkgirl and I would not give us any clues and I had to destroy the bullet in Flash. That would just leave the kryptonite, which I don't believe is here."

"It might be at the tower still," Zatanna pipped in. "I could magick it here, but Superman will have to be elsewhere unless he wants another dose of it."

"Hey, that's not all we have," Flash suddenly spoke up, his voice picking up with excitement. "I had to draw some blood from GL to find out what kind of toxin was in him."

J'onn caught what the red-clad man was getting at. "If we can isolate some of the ingredients in the samples, we may be able to triangulate where they came from. Perhaps the computer can assist us with a ma—"

Suddenly a new window popped up on the computer screen, silencing their discussion. Confused by it, Zatanna stared at the flashing red window before accessing it. At first, a muffled voice came over the speakers, taking a moment before the dark-haired woman figured out what was being said. "—_got a lot of movement from Jokerz, Dispatch,"_ the voice said, a police officer most likely. "_They're all heading southwest, but its like they're zombies or something."_

"What's going on?" Stewart demanded.

Zatanna was frowning as she began doing a search on the computer. It didn't make any sense to her why an alarm like this would come up. "I have no idea. Batman didn't tell me about this."

As it turned out, Hawkgirl realized what the reason was. "Check the frequency. If I'm not mistaken, that's an emergency channel the police use."

Then, as if to prove her right, "_This is Officer Michaels on Walnut Grove; I'm seeing a lot of Jokerz out here. They seem to be heading somewhere, not sure where."_

"I get the feeling that's not normal for these Jokerz guys," Flash surmised. "Anyone got an idea on who these guys are?"

At that, Zatanna felt something vile work its way up her throat. "A gang of miscreants and idiots," she spat out, staring heatedly at the computer in front of her. "A bunch of people got together and thought the Joker was a man worth idolizing and formed the gang in his honor. If they actually knew the guy, they'd run away screaming."

"Did you ever meet him?" Stewart suddenly asked her. "It sounds like you're speaking from experience."

"Yeah, I have. The Joker crashed a show of mine in Gotham. Killed one of my stagehands right in front of everyone and tried to rob the audience. Believe me, he's not a man any of you want to meet."

Due to Zatanna's souring mood, she missed the uncomfortable shuffling behind her. "So, these are bad guys," Flash said in an attempt to go back to the original topic. "Is this something the police can handle or do we step in?"

"Perhaps it would be best to know if this is normal behavior for them," J'onn suggested. "If it is normal, it would be best if the police handled it."

"I think it's pretty obvious it isn't," Hawkgirl interjected. "Just listen to the cops; they think its odd."

"Then we should investigate." Superman took center stage. "Some of us should stay in the cave to further investigate the Batman while a team goes out to see what this Jokerz gang wants."

"I'll go," Stewart volunteered. "I'm used to dealing with large crowds if the need arises."

Hawkgirl stepped forward then. "Me too. It would be a good idea to have someone familiar with detective work too." She paused for a moment. "J'onn too. If we need to get a closer look, he can get closer than either Lantern or I can."

"Is that wise?" J'onn questioned, his tone bland, though Zatanna detected a trace amount of skepticism. Or maybe she was just imagining things. "I believe it would be best if I stayed her to assist in running the tests."

"It's no big deal," Flash responded then. "I can run the tests faster than anyone here. And since Zee here is the only one with an idea on how to use the Batcomputer here, she can handle that part."

Zatanna raised an eyebrow at that. "Batcomputer?"

"What? It's not like everything else here isn't named after a bat."

"Very well then," the Martian gave in. "I believe we need to head to the southwest?"

"Just a second," the magician said as she turned in her seat to a cabinet. Opening the drawer, she stuck her hand in and pulled out a handful of earpieces. "Take these. They should be able to help us keep in contact with each other."

"Good idea." Stewart stepped towards he and took the offered earpieces. He then handed one to J'onn and Hawkgirl, each of them placing the receivers in their ears. "Do a test on them while we're on our way out."

"Righto." Zatanna then pointed towards a platform, the one that Bruce used to keep his car on. "See that tunnel over there? That should take you outside. When you come back, be sure to use it."

"Roger that."

* * *

Sorry if this chapter comes off as filler-ish. I hope you can bear with it though as things are about to heat up very soon.


	11. Now There's My Batman

The trip on the trucks was a long one, not that the Detective minded. He spent most of it focusing on his mediation, his eyes closed, ears open, and arms crossed over his armored chest. It wasn't like the small chamber back at the compound, what with the trucks bouncing once they left the city limits. Smooth asphalt had given way to dirt tracks some time ago, making this leg of the journey an unpleasant one.

Hearing a shrill sound, he opened his eyes and glanced to his men in the truck's bed. All sat at attention, waiting for their orders. The sound of multiple car doors opening alerted the masked man that they had arrived at their destination.

Grabbing the cloth flap next to him, the Detective pushed it aside, scanning his surroundings quickly and seeing that they had indeed reached their destination. Without a word, he leapt out of the truck, landing on his feet on the ground and strode towards an unfinished construction site, his cloak billowing out behind him. The sound of multiple boots hitting the ground soon followed as his men began to pour out of the trucks, lining up in rows as they had been trained to.

The ground was rocky, covered in white dirt that bore evidence of recent activity. Footprints and tire tracks mingled with each other all over the place, ending right by the rising I-beams that composed the frame of whatever building was going here. Of course, this place wasn't going to be finished ever; a large sign declare the land to be a part of the Head Development Corporations and warned that trespassers would be killed on sight. This was all just a cover to prevent prying eyes from snooping around. Of course, if such eyes proved to be persistent, there were way to make sure they never revealed what they saw.

"Rajir, sit-rep," the Detective demanded as he stood facing the construction site, searching for movement amongst the building supplies and construction equipment, seeing none. It helped that the site was built into the side of a hill, quarry rock making for a white backdrop. All he could see, however, was the silhouette of construction equipment and supplies left behind as if the construction crews intended on returning. Behind him, he heard one of the ninjas approaching, coming to a stop a few steps away.

"The bomb is in place," Rajir informed him, his voice low and caressing. "If you head to the quarry wall, you will find the entrance to the caverns below."

The Detective gave a sharp nod. "Any unusual activity I should be aware about?"

"No, Sir. The construction crews have been given leave and dispersed; constant patrols have been active as of 72 hours ago. The perimeter has not been breached."

"And the construction site?"

"Guards are currently positioned throughout the site. None have dispatched any intruders capable enough to slip by the patrols."

Sounded as if the area was secure. Tilting his head to a side, he addressed Rajir, "Station your men as instructed by the Master. I will perform my inspection and issue further orders when finished."

"As you command." He saw the ninja salute him out of the corner of his eye before walking off. There was no doubt his orders would be obeyed to the letter, which left the Detective with his primary objective. Stepping forward, he headed for the construction site, disappearing within its depths and out of sight of his men. He was a cautious man by nature, so he kept his eyes out for any unforeseen obstacles, though there shouldn't be any. The League of Assassins had been keeping guard here since development began, so there shouldn't be any surprises.

Not that he wouldn't make sure. Making his way around a pallet with sacks of concrete arranged on it, the Detective swept his eyes around the desolate place. He kept a hand on his belt, hidden from sight by his cloak in the event he needed to strike first. So far, it was just as Rajir had informed him. His sharp eyes were able to pick out three of the League's guards, but no one that could be construed as a trespasser. Though he was trained to spot hidden assailants, he would have to have a word with the three he spotted. They were trained to be invisible to anyone and everyone, even people like himself. Nothing short of perfection was acceptable.

Fortunately, the journey to the rock wall was uneventful, though that now left him the problem of finding the entrance. From his briefing, he had been informed that it wasn't visible to the naked eye. Because they didn't want just anyone finding it, effort had been put into hiding it in plain sight.

So when sight failed you, the other four senses had to take over. Raising a hand, the Detective touched the wall with the tips of two of his fingers and began walking to his right, dragging his fingers against the rough surface. He continued this, focusing his attention on any inconsistencies with the quarry rock's surface. The moment he felt his fingers leave the rock, feeling nothing but empty air, he knew he had found it. Turning to his left, he backed up a step, still staring at nothing except a rock face. Stepping towards it while keeping both hands up, the Detective soon entered a path, vanishing inside the wall.

So far everything was going right. The workers had done a good job cutting the rock to create an optical illusion. No one would be able to find it unless they were specifically looking for it or already knew where it was.

Of course, if anyone other than the Fangs of the Demon knew of this place, they wouldn't know for long.

Reaching out with his arms, the Detective searched for the sides of the path, finding the uneven touch of the walls with his fingertips. Hmm, what a wide corridor for a hidden entrance. He would have to speak to the designer about such a misstep. It was a mystery how no one had stumbled upon it yet.

That would come later. Pressing on, the Detective followed the path, vanishing into it dark depths.

* * *

"Sister? May I have a word?"

Zatanna turned away from the supercomputer, seeing Wonder Woman looking down at her intently. Maybe it was just her, but the magician was having a hard time focusing her eyes since everything seemed blurry. She must've been looking at the monitor screen way too long for this to happen, so perhaps this was as good time as any for a break.

"Go ahead," she replied to the Amazon, turning her seat to face the much taller woman. She blinked her eyes to clear up the blurriness, hoping it didn't look too strange.

"You seem to have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to this Batman person and the city of Gotham," Wonder Woman began, clearly leading up to something. At the moment, Zatanna wasn't in a frame of mind to guess exactly what. "While the rest of us are grasping at what this man is like, we have failed to see that you have many of the answers that we require."

"So you want me to tell you about Batman," she summarized, propping her head up with her arm as she rested her elbow on the arm rest. "I've been asked the question before, but I get the feeling that perhaps you all aren't asking the right questions."

That made the Amazon frown at her. "And what would those right questions be?"

Zatanna shrugged. "Beats me. I'm just the one with answers."

The corner of the taller woman's mouth twitched up. "Forgive me for repeating questions; I must have been under the spell of the nanites when you went over it." She paused for a moment as she considered her next words. "If you would be so kind, I would like to know what this city was like with him protecting it. While I have watched over Gateway, all I ever heard was of whispers of this city and very few of them were good."

Zatanna leaned back in her chair, gazing up at the ceiling, absently noting the lack of bats hanging above their heads. What a question that was. "I only ever been to Gotham a couple times," she began before quickly adding, "before Batman began patrolling it. From what I remember of it, it wasn't all that nice. It was a city living in the past as the rest of the country was moving away from what made it great. Manufacturing, shipping, industry—those were slowly being outsourced or cheaper labor was brought in. In turn, people began turning to crime families who took advantage of them. Soon enough, they controlled the city and the rest of the country kinda pretended it wasn't there, preferring the newer, brighter future of Metropolis and Gateway.

"Then the Batman showed up. Suddenly, you had predators of the worst kind going back into the holes they crawled out of. Things got better. In a way, he made it possible for my show to even consider coming here—despite what the other cities say, the money's in Gotham. Sure, you've got those billion-dollar corporations like Lexcorp, but for everyone of those Gotham can throw out five that are headquartered here. Even when things fell into disrepair, the money stayed here, so it just became a matter of if you wanted to risk all the bad things that could happen for a taste."

Zatanna had to stop herself when she realized that what she was saying had little meaning to the Amazon. Wasn't she from some sort of women-only island or something? Judging from the look Wonder Woman was giving her, it was pretty obvious she was listening to what the magician was saying, but not really understanding the deep-seeded rivalry that existed between cities. She may as well have been trying to explain the difference between quantum physics and relativity. Ix nay on the politics-ay.

So going back to her narration, the shorter woman decided to pick up with the more relevant stuff, particularly involving crime. Surely a super hero would understand that subject. "Unfortunately, with the fall of traditional crime, something had to fill that void. That's where people like the Joker and that Hush guy came in. Everyone just wasn't prepared for that and we were all blindsided by it. Even Batman."

"Evil is difficult to smite," Wonder Woman said; whether that was to be encouragement or just a general statement, Zatanna didn't know nor bothered trying to puzzle it out. "As long as I've been here, it seems as if more and more men choose to submit themselves to it."

The magician shrugged her shoulders. "We all can't be perfect and it's hard to hang onto morals when every day is a challenge."

"Yet your Batman did."

"That's because he was different." Zatanna started straight ahead, completely ignoring the sight of red and blue cloth wrapped around a taut body. "We...met...before he put on that mask. Even then he was driven just as he was when...I last saw him. I just didn't see it at the time because I was...more interested in other things."

That admission perked the curiosity of the Amazon. "How did you meet?"

"He wanted my father to teach him to be an escape artist. When he was finish he left just like he came." Zatanna paused at that. "Come to think of it, that sounds like all the men in my life."

"Good men are hard to come by," the taller woman said sagely.

"Amen."

A silence fell upon the two, mostly because Zatanna wasn't sure what to say next and the Amazon was waiting on her to continue. What else was there to say though? There really wasn't much more to say about Batman other than he came, he saw, he kicked some ass, then left. Gotham hadn't been the same since, though you could probably argue the city slid back into familiar habits once he was gone, as if he hadn't ever been there. Now that was upsetting to think about.

Almost as if she was reading her mind, Wonder Woman asked, "Why this city then? Why did he choose this one out of all the rest?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Well, perhaps Zatanna could make a hell of a better guess than most, but there were some things she was adamant about not talking about and that was anything that could give anyone an inkling to Bruce's identity. Hmm, now that she thought about it, she was going to have to email Lucius Fox again pretty soon. She had been making sure he at least knew that Bruce was active somewhere in the world, even if that was tanning on a beach or mountain climbing in the Himalayas, which inadvertently got canceled due to a major storm. The things she did for the guy. "Though I guess if you asked Superman or Flash the same question, you'd get something like them living there or just wanting to do good things. The way we each do something is different, but in the end we all have the same goal."

Wonder Woman went quiet for a moment before looking to the Flash-named Batcomputer. "Then it is a shame that his efforts were wasted."

Something prickled the magician at those carelessly spoken words. So what if there was truth in them, to have someone say out loud that Bruce gave up everything for nothing just didn't sit right with her. "I wouldn't say that," she retorted quickly, shifting in her seat. Why had this chair gotten so uncomfortable so suddenly?

Wonder Woman returned her gaze to her. "The evil that resides in this city has returned to reclaim its dominion over it despite Batman's best efforts. It may be harsh to say, but can you argue otherwise?"

Okay, Zatanna was really not liking this woman. Yeah, she had been complaining about her in her head, but that was out of insecurity and a little bit of jealousy—just a little, a tiny bit, nothing ugly because Zatanna Zatara was not a hater. Besides, she'd like to see this almighty Amazon say that to Bruce's face. He'd show her a thing or two.

Taking her silence as an admission of defeat, the Amazon continued, "With the return of crime, it seems to me like your friend was just a short reprieve against the evils of men. I find that sad. If men cannot help their kin change themselves, what hope is there for the world?"

"You say that as if no one cared about Batman," Zatanna remarked icily.

"The city does seem to be presenting itself that way."

The magician seethed at that insult. Who the hell was she to say how other people felt? The dark-haired woman wanted nothing more than to tell her as much, but something occurred to her. Obviously the Amazon respected action more than words. Well, perhaps she better give it to her.

Sitting up in her seat, Zatanna reached to the nearby drawer and opened it, pulling out a couple more earpieces. "Here." She held one out to Wonder Woman, who took it without objection. Huh. She was at least expecting a "why?" instead of blatant trust.

Leaning to a side, she called out over her shoulder, "Hey, Superman, Flash—Wonder Woman and I are heading out."

There was a red blur and Flash was suddenly at their sides. "What's up? Something pop up on the Batcomputer or something?"

Zatanna waved him off. "Nah, just girl talk."

The red-clad man just stared at her before he took a step back. "Oh, okay, have fun." Then with another blur, he raced back to the lab.

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow at her. "Girl talk?"

The magician shrugged. "It's not like it's not true. Besides, it's simpler this way."

"If you say so, Sister."

* * *

The room was enveloped in a sickly green glow. The rocky chamber had been drilled into, then cut to form a pit. An uneven path ran along the wall, forming a circle around a hole. In the hole was a noxious, bubbling, viscous green fluid, wafting visible streaks of green gas up towards the ceiling. There must've been an outtake pipe somewhere high above, otherwise this entire chamber should've been full of the gas.

Something about the green pool made the Detective feel on edge. It was as if a more instinctual, reptilian part of him was urging him to flee as fast as he could. It clearly didn't like the pit and he wasn't one to disagree with instinct.

So this was Lazarus.

The Detective had heard whispers of such liquid. Once he had tried to discover what it was, only to have his curiosity squelched at the Master's command. Further probing into Talia at a later date had left him with a coy smile and a riddle of defying death. The vagueness of her answer had led the black-clad man into forming his own theories, none of which a sane man couple possibly prove, thought he did have indication from Talia that he was on the right track.

That was of little consequence now. High above the pit were a set of metal arms, fixed to the wall by bolts and support beams. The arms were directly across from each other, extending out over the pit until they met each other in the middle. Each end formed a pincer, each one holding up the side of a large, round bomb. According to the schematics and computer program, when a frequency was activated, the pincers would open and drop the bomb below. The heat sensors would detect the sudden environmental temperatures as it sank into the waters, reaching a pre-programmed target temperature. Once it reached that number...boom.

The Detective's assessment of the systems and the security of the bomb had been quick and efficient. Everything was set to go.

Crouching on one of the arms, the Detective flipped opened a panel in the metal surface. He was greeted with the sight of a keypad, a small monitor screen, and three small lights. Extending a finger, he punched in the activation code, seeing the numbers appear on the screen. With the code in, he hit the enter button and watched as the code was accepted. The three lights flashed on, one red, one yellow, and one green. First the green and yellow lights went off, leaving only the red. This indicated that the computer was on, but it would not release the bomb.

Back to the keypad, the Detective punched in the arming code, pressing enter once completed. The red light blinked out, replaced by the green one. A timer appeared on the monitor screen, reading 10. Quickly, the black-clad man entered the third and last code, seeing the yellow light go on. There, it was now on stand-by mode. Once the correct frequency was used, the countdown would begin.

Closing the lid, the Detective, pulled out a small, hand-held blowtorch. Lighting it, he pressed the flame against the crease between the lid and the rest of the arm. Thanks to the visor on his helmet, he didn't need to take extra safety precautions as he soldered the lid permanently shut.

There, he was now finished. Turning off the torch and placing it back into its pouch on his belt, the Detective turned to one side and dropped off the arm, landing in a crouched posture upon the ground. Standing up, he began walking towards the entrance, pausing once there long enough to gaze at the Lazarus Pit for a moment.

Once more his instinctual self was raising his internal alarms. Just the sight of the green waters made him feel uneasy. If his current theory was correct, then he understood why his Master was fond of these pits. Perhaps if he became Ubu, he would receive confirmation. Yet, if what he thought was true, then it raised some ugly questions about the Master. Why he was insistent on maintaining a young man's fable made him less of the great savior that he was. Then again, who was he to question the Master's motives? Surely there was a reason for why he was chosen out of everyone throughout history to prolong life.

Turning away, the Detective walked into the exit, following the short corridor until he reached a much larger chamber. Unlike the pit behind him, there was a lot more construction equipment here, ranging from a bulldozer, scaffolding that formed a semi-circle along the wall around half the room, and several crates scattered about. To either side of the pit's entrance were stone columns, both serving as support for a large piece of stone over head.

Those had been made by the workers for whatever reason. Still, the Detective found a use for it, having attached plastic explosives to the support columns when he had first arrived. Walking a distance away, the black-clad man turned around to face the entrance, staring into its depths as the sickly green light poured through it.

Reaching to his belt, he opened a pouch and pulled out a small detonator. Turning it on, he then pressed the trigger button, watching stoically as the explosives detonated in a burst of flames and smoke. The stone columns shattered into smaller pieces of rock, which left the much larger stone they'd been holding up to collapse to the ground. A tremor rocked the room as dust and smoke shot out all over the room. Waiting, the Detective stared straight ahead until the dust settled down.

As planned, the large stone covered the Lazarus Pit entrance, blocking it from sight. There, this pit was secured and prepped. Sticking the detonator back into the pouch, the Detective stared at his handiwork for a moment longer before he prepared to leave.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha."

The Detective's eyes widen as he whipped around. Someone else was done here? How? When? Had they seen what was going on here?

"Ha, ha-ha, ha-ha."

The laugh, it was everywhere, echoing and bouncing off the walls, ruining any chance he had at locating it source by ear. The tone was dry, devoid of humor as if the laughter was sarcastic or deadpan. Turning around, eyes sweeping the scaffolding and finding nothing, the black-clad man kept spinning, searching in vain until he found himself staring right at the debris of the hidden pit entrance.

"Oh, eh, eh, ha, oh, he, he, ha...ha…"

And then he felt it, a presence behind him. Twisting around, a hand going to his belt for a throwing star, the Detective found himself staring between two support bars for the scaffolding, deep into the recesses of a dark crevasse.

A man emerged from the crevasse then, encased in a dark colored—possibly purple—trench coat. Green, stringy hair framed his pale white face, sunken eyes staring at him. Was it just him, or was there some sort of scarring on the side of his face? Some kind of burn?

The Detective's eyes dropped to the pale man's right hand, the handle of an assault rifle dangling in his grasp. Beneath the gun's barrel was a grenade launcher attachment, making for a very dangerous weapon.

Eyes glancing back up, he was just in time to see the pale man's red lips stretch open, revealing yellowed teeth.

"Now there's _my_ Batman."

* * *

See? Told y'all things would be picking up. That dry laughter by the Joker is based on the one Heath Ledger used in the Dark Knight, when he's crashing the mob families' meeting. I can't tell y'all how many times I went over clips of that scene just to make sure I got the laugh right.


	12. Psychopathic Ex

Rajir was a humble man. Rescued on his deathbed by his Master, he had pledged his life to servitude to repay the debt he owed. Not once did he ever regret that decision.

Behind him stood the League of Assassins, forming three rows of combat-ready men prepared to lay their lives down for the betterment of mankind. Standing front and center, Rajir glared across a rocky plain at an unwanted and unwelcomed group of savages and vagrants.

They truly were the scum of humanity. They dressed themselves in rags and painted their faces in homage of a psychotic killer. Rajir had heard of them, these Jokerz. Observing their crude weapons, ranging from metal baseball bats, wooden 2x4s, chains, knives, clubs, spears, and torches, he knew this lot were more hoodlum than warrior. A mob of deranged, giggling, taunting punks. Even now they lacked basic organization, preferring a mass of bodies instead of uniformed lines.

They were a blight on this holy ground.

Rajir turned to face his comrades. "These men come to interfere with the plans of the Immortal Demon," he proclaimed loudly. "It is your holy duty to do ensure that nothing and no one disrupt what must be done." Grabbing the sword hilt that extended over his shoulder, he pulled the blade from its sheath, hearing the ringing sound of metal quickly scraping against leather.

As one, the League of Assassins reached to their own hilts and removed their swords, a cacophony of singing blades echoing throughout the night's air.

Spinning around, Rajir faced the Jokerz, seeing many of the clowns oohing and awing him and his fellow assassin, right before they burst into an infectious peal of laughter. The very sound of it caused the ninja to ground his teeth together.

Thrusting his sword high into the air, he shouted, "For the honor and glory of the Demon's Head!"

It took one step for it to begin. Rajir would take pride that that step belonged to him for the rest of his life. As one, each line of ninjas behind him joined him in the charge, the growing sound of stomping footsteps pounding on the ground.

In response, the Jokers let out a loud, collective battle cry, the screams of hundreds echoing throughout the night as they too charged forward. Like two waves, each side raced at each other, the distance between them shrinking until they collided against each other.

* * *

The Detective pumped his legs hard as he ran, the angry roar of a machine gun echoing throughout the chamber as bullets pelted anything and everything behind him. Creates and scaffolding were assaulted by the torrent of gunfire, sending splinters of shattered wood flying up into the air in the black-clad man's wake.

And over the gunblasts, he could hear the madman scream at him, "How could you do this to me?! I thought we _meant _something to each other! That _we _were special! That _I_ was special!"

The Detective took cover behind the bulldozer just as sparks exploded off the metal surface, the flying pieces of lead bouncing off the machine's side. Quickly, he made his way to the other side, slipping a hand into his belt and pulling out a couple of shuriken.

It had been like this for awhile. This...insane man had spoken to him like they knew each other. But the Detective was sure that if he had ever met this Joker person, he would have remembered. The very evil that radiated off of him was wholly his own and could not be mistaken for another.

"_Now there's _my _Batman."_

_Batman? What the hell was that? The Detective kept his guard up as he stared down this newcomer. There was something unsettling about him and the black-clad man didn't like it. How had he gotten down here? There were guards throughout the construction site, not to mention the hidden path. He could see conquering the secret to the path, or evading discovery of the positioned ninjas_—_though that should've been impossible to do_—_but not both._

"_Who are you?" he demanded harshly, slowly straightening out his body as he faced this man, a throwing star held tightly in his hand._

"_Oh, don't give me that," the pale man answered, taking a step towards him. "It's me, your old pal Joker. We were quite the pair, you and I. The things we did together, the jokes, the murders, the total destruction. It was like Christmas_—_with dynamite!"_

"_Is that a fact?" The Detective stepped to one side, the Joker doing the same as they began to circle each other. It was an instinctual thing the way they moved around each other, like some sort of forgotten dance renewed. It was alarming how familiar he felt doing this._

"_It is, it is!" Joker assured him, his voice cheery and delighted. "Why, I remember it like it was yesterday. Those were our glory days! There you were, all dark and tragic-looking with your bat…" he trailed off as he stared at the black-clad man. "Have you...done something to yourself? You look a bit different. Get a new cape? Gotta say, it looks like your old one. Oh wait, it's the helmet! Silly me, it's so obvious now." Joker raised a hand to his chin, rubbing it as he narrowed his eyes in examination. "You know, I kinda like the mask better. Do you still have one lying around? I'll turn around so you can put it on. Scout's honor." When the Detective didn't move, he concluded, "I'm taking that as a no. Oh well then, helmet it is."_

_There was a moment of silence between them, but it didn't seem this Joker guy wasn't much for introspection. "Now that I think about it, that's not all that's changed. You've gone out and made some friends, haven't you? The weird guys in the bad latex bodysuits, where did you even find those guys? I might need some of them when I'm done with my current crew. I know they mean well, but there's only so much you can do with juvenile delinquents and addicts."_

"_How did you get past them?" the Detective demanded, continuing his circle._

"_Oh, you know how it is. They looked like rather bored fellows, what with their patrolling and all. So I brought my friends along to keep them company. I think they'll get along with each other, don't you?"_

_For a moment, the black-clad man hesitated as he strained his ears. Though they were underground, if any sound reached the hidden path, it would bounce off the walls long enough to reach this place. He focused and focused for several seconds, even as he restarted his dance with Joker._

_Nothing, he couldn't pick anything out aside from the careful steps of himself and his opponent. Knowing Rajir though, he would protect this place with his life._

_Which would explain how Joker had managed to slip by the guards. With all their attention on an external force, that left them blinded to what was going on behind them._

"_But I'm sure you know by now that it was never about them, right? It's always been about us, just you and me. Everyone else, from the police commissioner to the mayor to those fancy rich guys at Wayne Enterprises, are just spectators in our lovely dance." Joker paused as he swallowed deeply. "Without you around, I have to admit, I've been rather lonely. There hasn't been anyone quite like you."_

"_If that's what you think," the Detective said neutrally._

_That caused Joker to stop in his tracks, which the Detective did as well. "Huh, you know if I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd forgotten our trip through Hell. But that would be ridiculous! Why, there we were, up on the catwalk, you beating the piss out of me, and me laying out the punchlines. It was all so glorious!"_

_The Detective didn't respond, staying silent._

_Joker's confidence faltered. "Hey, quit playing around. That's my part, not yours. You're supposed to be the serious one, remember?"_

_Again, no reply._

_The pale man's face dropped it's smile. "You...don't remember," he spoke softly as comprehension dawned on him._

_About time this guy got the clue. The Detective set his feet, ready to throw his shuriken._

"_You don't remember," Joker repeated as if he were trying to make it fit inside his head. That caused the black-clad man to hesitate. Something within him was beginning to shout that something wasn't right here._

_That was when Joker's eyes lit up with fury, proving his instincts right. "You don't remember!"_

Which led up to their current stand-off. The Detective had tried hitting the psycho with his shuriken shortly after the shooting had started, but to his surprise Joker had simply sidestepped the throwing star, the projectile embedding itself into a wooden board that was leaning up against one of the scaffolding poles.

After that, he'd been running for his life. Now that he had some stable cover though, it was time to turn the tables on this clown. Peaking around the bulldozer, the Detective caught sight of Joker removing the ammo clip from his assault rifle while pulling out another to replace it.

This was his chance! Leaping out from behind his cover, the Detective threw the projectiles, watching them arc through the air as they flew towards their target. To his amazement, Joker pointed the barrel of his gun to the ground, turning it to a side. A moment later, the throwing stars hit the side of the rifle's stock and sticking their points into the weapon's surface.

Insane rage poured from the Joker's face. "I thought you loved me!" he screamed as he twisted and turned the assault rifle, pointing it right at the black-clad man. However, instead of firing bullets, the lower attachment let out a loud _boom!_ and cloud of smoke, a grenade sailing through the air. Eyes widening, the Detective dove to a side, just as the grenade flew by where he stood, hitting the ground right by some scaffolding. An explosion erupted, destroying the support of the scaffolding and causing that section to crumble and crash down to the ground.

Hiding behind a crate, the Detective watched as wooden planks and metal pipes rained down on the ground, creating an echoing clash of banging metal, which filled the chamber.

Once it quieted down, Joker began speaking again. "My mother always warned me about guys like you, but did I listen? Noooooo!" Suddenly, he began firing his gun, though surprisingly it wasn't at the man. Instead it was in a different part of the chamber; still, Joker's side was towards him, which meant he could—

Instantly, Joker turned to face him, firing a short burst of bullets at his crate. The Detective jerked his head away from the edge of his cover, feeling splinters of wood beat on his shoulder and the side of his helmet.

"I thought I was different, that I could change you. I could've been the light to your darkness! Why won't you let my light into your darkness?!"

Then he fired his gun again, but no where near the Detective. Befuddled, he peaked out from his cover and was surprised to find Joker looking in a completely different direction. What the hell was going on here?

He mentally shook himself. He needed to find himself some better cover instead of this crate. It wouldn't last a second barrage whenever that came. Making sure the pale man was focused elsewhere, still firing his rifle wildly, the Detective dashed away from his cover, taking refuge behind the bulldozer once more.

"I can't believe I fell for your lies. Did those sweet nothings mean nothing to you?!"

The black-clad man gritted his teeth. He just about had enough of this clown's complaining, whatever the hell he was getting at. Hiding wasn't going to end this, so he needed to go on the offensive. The sporadic shooting posed a problem, but from what he'd seen, Joker was keeping his fire at ground level. So that meant if he could get to higher ground…

Back towards the bulldozer, the Detective looked towards the scaffolding. It was several stories up, so that would definitely provide him with the vantage point he needed. Pausing to listen for the next round of gunfire, he heard it roar out, none of the bullets heading towards his location.

And he was off. Dashing to the scaffolding, the Detective climbed up the piping until he was on the next floor. Boots touching down on wooden board, the black-clad man glanced out to his opponent, finding him facing his direction while reloading his weapon.

Not wanting a repeat of his previous shuriken attack, the Detective crept along the boards, his view of the clown slowly shifting to a side. The audible click of the Joker slamming in his fresh magazine and cocking back the bullet chamber rang out, informing him the pale man was ready to begin his frenzy again.

And then he looked right at him.

A nasty smile appeared on his red lips, his sunken eyes glowing with malice. "I want a divorce!"

"Oh hell," the Detective growled before he launched himself along the scaffolding level, the eruption of bullets ringing out. The stone of the wall broke as the bullets sent pieces of it flying into the air, occasional bursts of sparks launching out as well. The wooden planks shook and bounce with every footstep he made, causing the frame around him to shake from the resulting vibrations.

"How do you like that, huh? Can you feel your heart crumbling into a thousand piece, just like mine when you _forgot?!_"

Sparks erupted as a few bullets connected with the metal poles, though they were of no concern. Arms pumping, legs burning from exertion, the Detective's biggest problem was his endurance, which was starting to make itself known.

"You broke my heart!"

Suddenly, the gunfire appeared in front of the Detective, causing him to slide to a stop, arms thrown to his sides to help keep him balanced. His back foot jumped back, landing hard on the plank, which caused a prolonged snapping sound. Jerking his head down, the black-clad man saw the wooden board he stood on was damaged, evidence of bulletholes in it. Somehow he had stepped over them when he'd been running, but now that he was stuck, he was in the thick of them.

The Detective's head snapped up as realization dawned on him. The clown, he hadn't been firing his gun randomly. He knew the Detective would eventually seek higher ground and had been weakening the scaffolding with every shot he took.

"Now, I'll break your everything."

The sound of another grenade firing reached his ears, causing the black-clad man to jerk his head towards the Joker. He was just in time to catch the tail end of the grenade flipping end over end high above his head and land on one of the higher levels. The resulting explosion shook the scaffolding, causing the Detective to grab onto one of the metal poles for stability.

That was when he heard wood snapping, the bar he held rattling in his hand. The Detective had no time to react as the wooden plank above him suddenly shattered and raining stones crashed on top of him. The board beneath him broke just as easily as it predecessor and he was plunged to the ground below. Landing on the ground hard, he was soon covered by broken wood and large pieces of rock. Not for the first time was he glad he wore his helmet as more than once he felt a stone clang against it.

However, this left him pinned to the ground, his arms, head, and shoulders the only parts of him not covered by debris. Helpless, he could only lie there until Joker strolled up to him, coming to a stop right in front of him. Tilting his head to a side, the Detective saw the barrel of the assault rifle pointed right at him, a mere squeeze of the trigger the only thing keeping him from being Swiss cheese.

"It would be so easy, you know," Joker spoke then, his voice a low growl. "One squeeze and bam! Bat-brains all over my nice, polished shoes." He then kneeled down, his knees pointing out on either side of the black-clad man's head.

"But that isn't enough. After all we've been through, you...forgot. _You forgot!_ That insult cannot be forgiven with a simple bullet. No, no, no, this calls for something much more punishing."

The barrel of the gun was swept away then, Joker leaning his head down towards him. He then whispered, "Just watch me. Last time I was only playing; this time, I promise you, Gotham will burn, and _everyone_ will burn with it."

The Detective's lips twisted in a snarl. "You monster."

Joker flipped his weapon around, holding the butt of the rifle over his head. "Remember that the next time you consider forgetting about me." The rifle butt dropped down, slamming down on his head and blacking out his sight.

Yet, before he fell unconscious, his ears were still able to hear, "Or next time, it'll be the world."

* * *

The flash of steel reflected moonlight for just an instant. As the ninja stepped into his swing, his sword sliced through air until it tore through cloth and bit into unsuspecting flesh. In a single swipe, the sword cut through skin and muscle until it exited the Joker's body, leaving a gaping wound in its wake.

The Jokerz member squealed in pain as blood sprayed out, dropping to the ground as he let go of his club and clutched at his chest, hands painted in blood as he fruitlessly tried to shut the wound. That allowed the ninja to close in and drive the end of his sword right into the Jokerz' throat, separating his windpipe and effectively ending his life.

Not too far away from that, another Jokerz member came swinging his 2x4 at another ninja, who struck with his sword. When the two weapons collided, the sword cleanly sliced through the piece of wood, shortening it to the Jokerz' amazement. Predictably, the ninja struck again, decapitating the man in one stroke, the painted head flying through the air as a torrent of blood launched high into the sky.

As the headless body fell, a band of Jokerz attacked one of the ninjas together, two of them tackling the masked man as a third jumped on top of them, tipping them over and making all four men collapse to the ground. A fourth Joker was at their side in an instant, swinging his baseball bat down and smashing it into the ninja's face. That left the man at best dazed, leaving him wide open for all four Jokerz to beat him to death with their crude weapons.

"My God," John Stewart swore as he watched the battle beneath him. This had been the sight he, Hawkgirl, and the Martian Manhunter had come across after they had received more precise directions for the Batcave. Though the Jokerz outnumbered the ninjas by a considerable margin, it was pretty clear they were getting slaughtered by the trained killers.

"This is a massacre," Hawkgirl added, though she was much less taken back than the Green Lantern was. It was something he was going to have to ask her about later, when they weren't staring down upon human slaughtered human.

"We must stop this," J'onn declared adamantly, perhaps the most emotional the Lantern had ever heard the Martian. He at least had a more similar reaction to John when they had first arrived. In fact, these had been the first words he had spoken the moment they spotted the fight.

"Damn right we do," John agreed, his green aura brightening. "Spread out and take 'em out, all of them. We'll sort out what to do with them later."

In answer, Hawkgirl and J'onn drifted away, leaving John alone. Lifting up higher into the air, he then flipped upside down and plummeted towards the ground, drawing his right fist back as his ring glowed with energy. Letting out a war cry, he thrust his arm down, firing a blast of green energy down into the middle of the fight. The blast hit the ground and detonated, the explosion throwing Jokerz and assassins alike off their feet and into the air.

When the smoke cleared, a empty patch revealed itself, allow John to slow his descent and right himself up. Touching down, he took a quick glance around, noting all of the Jokerz and ninjas staring at him. Gathering his will, he poured it into his ring and fired out a beam, the light expanding out into a large brick wall. "Ha!" he cried out as he sent the wall crashing into the combatants, knocking them off their feet and clearing another swath of ground.

Approaching footsteps caught John's ear, causing him to spin around, ending his wall construct. In it's place, a long broadsword extended from his ring, just in time to clash with two katanas, the blades clanging loudly against his green construct. Due to length of his green blade, he was able to stop the two ninjas' strikes, then swung his arm out, pushing off his attackers with one swipe.

Dissolving that construct, John then leapt backwards, putting some distance between him and the ninjas, extending his arms out and firing a blast of green energy, one that caught one of his opponents in the chest and sent him flying out of control through the air. Quickly shifting his arm, he fired another one, knocking the second ninja through the air as well.

It was around then that John caught something falling from the sky from the corner of his eye. Sparing a look, the Green Lantern noticed what looked like a giant green monster dropping to the ground, its landing sending a violent tremor through the earth. It stood an easy fifteen feet, large and bulky with arms the size of tree trunks. Letting out a roar, it swung one of its arms out, slamming it into a group of ninjas and Jokerz, sending them crashing to the ground.

The dark-skinned man had to admit, he was caught off guard by the monster, but once he got a look at its gaping maw and its orange eyes, he soon realize that it was J'onn, taking on some sort of creature either from his own imagination, or perhaps Mars. Regardless, he made a mental note that the Martian was a shapeshifter for future reference. That just left Hawkgi—

"Haaaa!"

Like a missile, the Thanagarian came charging through the air, ramming herself through bodies upon bodies of the fighting mob. A glint of moonlight reflecting off an object in her hands alerted him to some type of blunt weapon, a club or a mace of some kind. As long as she didn't smash someone's head in, she'd be fine. John took a moment to watch as Hawkgirl rose back up into the air, looping around before plunging down again with another war cry.

The Green Lantern shook himself. _Get it in gear, Stewart, this isn't the time to get distracted._ Leaping off the ground, he put some distance between him and the battle below to try and determine which part of the battlefield required his presence. From there he was able to see some of the Jokerz drop their crude weapons and begin fleeing towards Gotham. John was guessing that was because of J'onn's rampaging creature more than anything. That just left the rest of the Society of Assassins to deal with as they were more than likely willing to try their luck at killing the Martian.

It was because he was up in the air that he was able to see it. Tearing his eyes away from the fight, John spotted movement towards the construction site. What the heck was that? Narrowing his eyes, he quickly looked down to see his comrades handling the fight, before looking back to the unfinished building. Green aura flaring, he flew towards the movement, soon seeing a man in a trench coat striding out of it.

"Hold it right there," John demanded as he landed near this new guy. Now that he got a look at him, he noticed the pale white skin and gangly green hair. At his words, the man turned to face him, revealing a scarring on one side of his face and red lips.

Ah, so this was another Jokerz member. At least that's what John thought until he noticed the large assault rifle in his hand. "Drop your weapon down and put your hands over your head," the dark-skinned man ordered sternly.

The pale man stared at him through sunken eyes, giving him a once-over. "Love the color. Who's your tailor? I was thinking about putting in a little more green into my wardrobe."

"Excuse me?" John responded, slightly taken back by the response. He had to shove the reaction aside as most Earthlings weren't familiar with the Green Lantern Corps, unlike the rest of the universe.

The Jokerz member turned around to regard him, fulling facing him. "So who are you supposed to be? Glowing Man? Nuclear Waste Guy?"

John aimed his ring at this crazed man, a bright green light glowing from his hand. "I said drop your weapon."

The man narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to a side. "You know, you sound just like a cop. Is that what you are? Well in that case, I know how to deal with you."

Then, despite his words, he dropped his rifle to the ground, the gun kicking up a small cloud of dust. "What was that other thing you said? Put my hand's where?"

"You heard me, behind your head."

"Right, right," the green-haired man said blandly before his eyes shot wide open. "Oh wait! Don't you need to see my identification? You know, we've got so many illegals running around, you never know just who belongs in society."

Instead of his hands going to his head, the man reached into his jacket. "Don't move!" John demanded, the glow from his ring becoming brighter. In response, the pale man completely ignored him, pulling out a small handheld device.

Raising it high into the air, the guy smiled and said, "Here's my identification, Officer."

It became quickly apparent to John that the man held a detonator in his hand the moment his thumb pressed down on a button. Instantaneously, several _booms!_ rang out from the battlefield, coupled with geysers of green gas rocketing up into the air. Jerking his head, the Green Lantern stared as the gas began to fall back to the ground.

From where he stood, the sources of each geyser were Jokerz. Alarmingly, every single one of those punks were frantically fleeing as fast as they could, their more unfortunate comrades begging for help as they tried in vain to drag themselves across the ground. Even the ninjas seemed taken back by the reaction, each one looking up to the sky as the green cloud descended onto them.

"What the hell is that?!" John demanded as he swung himself back to face the mysterious Jokerz member, only to see that he had vanished. Eyes shooting around, it became quickly apparent to him that the man had ducked out while he had been distracted. Growling, John launched himself into the air to see if he could get a better vantage point of this.

That's when he heard it. It started low but escalated at a frightening pace. Laughter, uncontrollable peals of laughter began ringing out. Stunned, the Lantern swept the field with his eyes, seeing everyone within the gas cloud falling to the ground in laughing fits. That included Hawkgirl as she dropped her weapon, falling to her knees as her body shook from the laughing. The monster J'onn had become had disappeared as well, replaced by the Martian who was also laughing just as hard as the people around him.

All the while, John got the feeling something about this wasn't right. In fact, just looking at the green cloud made something inside of him scream not to go near it. Who was he to ignore such a response?

Reaching to his ear, he activated the earpiece there and immediately began speaking, "Cave, this is Lantern; I've got a situation."


	13. I'll Make Him Remember

_Darkness permeated the landscape. It was everywhere. The sky was completely pitch black with nary a star visible. Dark hills rose and fell as far as the eye could see, making it next to impossible to determine where this all ended or began. The only source of light there was belonged to a path that glowed a dull yellow, worming its way between and around the large mounds, disappearing behind them and out of sight._

_The Detective stood on this path. A look behind him showed the exact same sight that was before him. He had no clue as to how he had gotten here and he fell under the impression that going backwards was not an option. So that only left moving forward…_

_Taking a step forward, he began transversing the trail, following it as it snaked its way through this dark, hilly world. All the while, he searched for any potential threats, finding none. A part of him wished there was one so that he wasn't consumed by this isolation he felt. Though used to being alone for long stretches, even he found this depressing. Time seem to stretch on and on as he continued to walk, unable to tell how much ground he had covered, what direction he was going, or even if he was going anywhere at all. Everything looked the exact same no matter where the path took him, or where he looked. He could've been circling around the area and never know about. There must've been a reason for why he was here, traveling through this forsaken land, all but forgotten by anyone and everyone._

_What exactly was this place? How had it come to be? More importantly, how had he come to be here? He didn't remember walking here; it was almost as if he had been deliberately placed amidst this dark world. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't like his predicament. There had to be some way out of here; for every entrances there was always an exit, even if it the entrance and exit were one in the same. He came to this desolate place somehow, so it stood to reason he could leave._

_Weaving from the left side to the right side of the path, the Detective kept up his steady pace. How long was this trail? Where was it taking him? Was there even an end? How long had he been on it? More importantly, how did one leave this depressing place? The longer he was here, the more he wanted to be gone. He could feel his mind closing itself off, despair seeking to rob him of his courage and strength. Perhaps that was what this place was doing; it wanted to break him._

_He refused to let that happened._

_That's when everything changed. As he walked along side the edge of the path, his foot swung too close to one of the hills. The toe of his boot kicked something solid, much to his surprise, and caused it to roll onto the path. Instantly, the Detective shot to the other side of the trail, looking down at the debris as a hand darted to his belt, seeking a shuriken. Many thoughts raced through his head. Had he sprung a trap? If so, what threat did it pose? Or was his mind simply playing games with him and there was nothing there at all? He didn't like the implications of that possibility._

_Studying the object, the Detective noted its long, round shape, similar to a pipe. Yet one end was bigger than the other, and some sort of head extending out on the smaller end. Five curved horns jutted from the head, though if he wasn't mistaken, the horns looked frail and rather rubbery._

_It was then that he realized just what he was looking at: a human arm. The "head" had been the hand, with the frail-looking horns its fingers. Eyes following the arm to its source, he soon found himself staring at a body with a horrific-looking face, frozen with bulging eyes, white face, and an unnaturally wide smile._

_Tearing his eyes away, the Detective spotted another body lying next to it, just as twisted looking as the first. In fact, there were more of them the more he looked at the hill. Then it struck him._

_This was no hill; it was a pile of corpses._

_Now that he saw the hill for what it was, he could not unsee it. Spinning around, the hills slowly transformed into more grotesque parodies of mass graves. Arms, legs, and heads mingled with each other, tangling themselves together to form a huge mass of bodies. Yet, he could clearly see all of the smiling face staring back at him, mocking him for his knowledge. The black-clad man could only guess just how many bodies were out here creating this landscape of death._

_And as he turned once more, he noticed something had changed. In front of him, the path that had previously twisted and turned endlessly through these mountains of corpses was now sloping steeply downwards. Abruptly the trail ballooned out to form an area bordered by the piles of bodies. Alarmingly, a figure stood in the makeshift cul-de-sac, their back turned towards the Detective as the tail ends of their trench coat flapped aimlessly as if caught by a stiff breeze. Oddly enough, a street lamp extended out of the ground at the edge of the cul-de-sac, its head extending out over it and casting a heavenly light on the person._

_Unconsciously, the Detective's feet shuffled towards the figure, trying to make out who they were. Unfortunately, a wide-brim hat covered their head, making it impossible to make out any defining characteristics. So he kept moving forward until he reached the entrance of the cul-de-sac._

_Then, as if they sensed his presence, the person tilted their head to a side, as if eyeing the black-clad man from the corner of their eye. Shadows covered the figure's face, their coat still flapping._

"_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"_

_The Detective stiffened. That laugh…_

"_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"_

_That was when the figure spun around fully, revealing the smooth white skin of their face, dark sunken eyes, and red lips. He threw his head back, body shaking as he roared._

"_HA! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"_

A groan escaped the Detective's lips. Eyes opening, he found himself not in that place of death, but back in the chamber. His body was still covered in rubble, much as he had been when Joker had been kneeling over him, uttering promises of ruin.

As the maniacal laughter echoed in his head, his lips twisted into a snarl. No way was he letting that maniac get away, not after he had seen this place. Aside from his pride as a member of the Demon's Fang, it was his duty to ensure no one lived to tell the tale of seeing an assassin. That had been the Master's first rule upon induction into his ranks.

Of course, he had to extricate himself from the debris that swallowed up most of his body. Shifting his torso, he found little wiggle room there. Further experimentation informed him his legs were just as immobile. At least he still had his arms, though access to his belt was troubling. Though stuck, he wasn't completely pinned as bits of broken rubble had shifted when he moved, caused by weak tremors.

Raising an arm up, the black-clad man swung it down, the points of his tri-blades piercing the ground. Flexing his arm, he slowly inched his body out of the pile of debris. Raising his other arm, he did the same thing, swinging it down and digging his blades into the ground for leverage. Over and over he did this, sliding his body forward until he was able to pull his legs out.

Finally free, the Detective got up onto his feet, or at least tried to. Due to his previous position, blood flow had been reduced, causing his lower body to fall asleep as it were. The sensation of thousands of ants creeped all over his legs and lower body, causing the Detective to remain lying on the ground. No need to push himself and get hurt.

Turning his body so that he lay on his back, he moved his arms down and began to rub and massage his legs, trying to return blood flow to them. It was slow going, almost unbearably so, but eventually the tingling sensation faded away and his strength returned to him. Ready, the black-clad man pushed himself up until he was able to stand on his feet. Absently, he began dusting his armor off with his hands, his face looking towards the blocked off entrance to the Lazarus Pit. It still looked the same as when he had closed the opening, so it was likely Joker hadn't attempted to get in there. That was something at least.

Of course, he needed to ensure this location was secure. He didn't want anymore surprises to interfere with the Master's plan. He would also have to inform the Master of this development, though that wasn't a discussion he was looking forward to. Failure was rarely greeted with a second chance—that wasn't to say it hadn't ever happened, perhaps once in all the time he'd been apart of the Demon's Fang, but he'd been assured that had been the first time in decades.

And considering his goals, well, failure wasn't an option.

* * *

Zatanna felt like she was going to cough up a lung, gagging over the stench of a really rotten smell. Dear lord, it smelled like someone used a stink bomb! Lunging forward, the magician stumbled out of the smoke cloud, hand clasped to her mouth as she hunched over, coughing for all that she was worth.

She would later blame it on her less than ideal emotional state and not the fact that she just screwed the spell up a tinsey, tiny bit. What should've been a simple teleportation spell had mixed in the smell of a rotten egg, dead skunk, and that funky odor found in the back of the refrigerator after a plate of leftovers goes bad. Needless to say, it as a cocktail of deadly aromas. Already she could picture Nimue reprimanding her, telling her she had used too much magic or some unknown reason as to why she goofed.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one gagging on their tongue. Wonder Woman wobbally followed her out of the cloud—which had a sickly green tint to it, now that the dark-haired got a look at it—she too hacking up her lungs. Guessed those mythical gods of hers hadn't made her immune to the smell of a really bad fart.

"Never...doing that...again…" the magician sputtered out as she greedily sucked in clean air. Ahhh, that was better.

"I agree, Sister," the Amazon...agreed, getting a hold of herself. It took them a moment to finally breathe easy, but once they did they straighten their respective postures. "Where are we?" Wonder Woman asked, taking in her surroundings.

"Welcome to Sheldon Park, Wonder Woman," Zatanna grandly introduced, waving a hand out in front of her. All the while, she scanned the area for a specific sight, spotting it after a few moments. "And if you'd follow me, I've got something to show you."

Silently, the two women walked across wet grass, freshly watered earlier in the evening and the cool temperatures had ensured none of it evaporated. Trudging along, they soon came to the spot the magician was looking for.

Lying on the ground on its side was a ten foot statue, desecrated by spray paint. The face was painted white with a red swatch forming a smile. HA HA! and smiles were randomly placed on the rest of the body except the feet. The feet had broken off and were still attached to the stand the statue had previously been standing on. Chains were still wrapped around various parts of the statue, left behind by the perpetrators.

To see a statue of Batman lying in the mud, treated so much as trash was upsetting to Zatanna. It didn't take much thinking to know just who was behind its current state.

Wonder Woman remained silent behind her, taking in the sight. Seeing as the Amazon wasn't going to be breaking the silence any time soon, Zatanna felt it was up to her to start things off. "They put this statue up to mark the first anniversary of the Great Gotham Fire," she began, surprisingly calm. The dark-haired woman had thought she wouldn't be able to hold back the anger she felt, but apparently she had better self-control than she thought—go figure. "I guess you could say they wanted to honor him for everything he had done for the city."

The Amazon placed a hand on the magician's shoulder, a comforting gesture no doubt. "I'm sure he would've been honored."

_No, not_ _really_, she silently groused. Bruce hadn't ever been much for credit. Probably wouldn't have spared a glance at it before continuing on with his crusade. "Within the first month, a bunch of Jokerz came out her and yanked it down as a stunt."

"And it's laid this way since."

Zatanna shook her head. "No, the city put it back up, only for another group of Jokerz to pull it down again. It soon became a rite of passage for them or something cause every time the city would re-erect it, they'd be out by the end of the week to pull it back down again. Eventually, the city stopped, only bothering to put it back up around time for the anniversary." At this, she waved a hand to a small crane that sat in a nearby parking lot. "Tomorrow they'll have it standing again and clean off all that paint."

Turning her head, she regarded the Amazon stoically. "So when you said that the city doesn't care about what Batman did, I knew you were wrong. Because it does care, there's just more important things going on. Worshiping a fallen idol takes a backseat to protecting people. No one here has forgotten what Batman did for this city, especially the people that come out here every night to tear him back down."

Wonder Woman turned her head to look at the smaller woman. "I did not mean to offend," she apologized earnestly.

Zatanna sighed. "Maybe I'm sensitive on the subject, I don't know. I just...I know he wouldn't have given a crap about this statue or what anyone else thought of him. In fact, he told me as much once. He just wanted people to feel safe and that was more than enough reward for him. But then I see this and I hear things like what you said and it makes me think that people never really understood what he stood for."

"It seems you do."

The magician snorted. "All too well. But I also know what Gotham thought about him. I met Gothamites across the country—before and after he disappeared— and they couldn't stop talking about him. They were practically bragging about him.

"Unfortunately, there's enough bad apples around that their actions usually get noticed more than the rest of the people." She paused. "Alright, I think I'm done venting."

Wonder Woman gave her a comforting smile. "You've been holding this in for some time. I'm just happy I could be the shoulder you needed to let it out."

The corner of Zatanna's mouth twitched up. "You're not bad, Wonder Woman."

"Please, call me Diana."

Before she could respond to that, a voice went off in the magician's ear. "_Cave, this is Lantern; I've got a situation."_

Frowning, Zatanna raised a hand to her earpiece and activated her comm. "What's the problem?"

"_There's some kind of gas all over the place. For whatever reason, it's making everyone laugh."_

Zatanna's head jerked up, eyes widening as she felt her heart skip a beat. _It can't be._ "Don't breathe any of that in," she snapped, causing Diana next to her to look at her in surprise.

"_Wasn't planning on it. But Hawkgirl and J'onn got caught up in it. They've collapsed on the ground and it looks like they're laughing their lungs up."_

The magician let out a string of curses, none of which she cared to have put in writing. Brow furrowed, Zatanna wracked her mind for some kind of solution. There was no telling if Bruce had left any antidotes in the cave, never mind that if he had they'd be expired by now. No way could they whip up a batch in time to save Hawkgirl or J'onn either. Unconsciously she began to bite her lip.

How did Bruce stop this the first time?

Instantly, she hit the comm button on her earpiece, "Flash!" she demanded, hoping the guy would pick up.

It took longer than she wished, but eventually she got an answer. "_This is Flash. What's up?"_

"Flash, I need you to get two sedatives and get them to Green Lantern's location. Get there as fast as you can; I have no idea how long Hawkgirl and J'onn can last."

"_Consider it done."_

"Lantern," she then addressed Stewart. "Try and get Hawkgirl and J'onn away from the gas. Flash is in route with sedatives for them."

"_On it."_ A brief pause. "_Are you sure this'll work?"_

"It has to. That's Joker Venom you're dealing with and it's extremely lethal."

"_Okay. What about the others?"_

_Others?_ "What others?"

"_There was a big fight out here. That Jokerz gang we followed got into an all-out war with the Society of Assassins. Some ran off before they were exposed to this...venom stuff, but the rest weren't so lucky."_

A lump formed in Zatanna's throat. She already knew what she had to say before she even said it, though that didn't make her feel any better. Doing her best to keep the shakiness from her voice, she said, "It's too late for them."

There was a long silence before Stewart replied, "_You can't be serious."_

The magician had to close her eyes. Even after saying that, it wasn't any easier to basically write off who knows how many lives. "Is Flash there?"

"_Here and done. Both Wings and My Favorite Martian are out of it,"_ the red-clad man answered. "_And seriously, that's just creepy. I don't think I've seen anyone laugh like that since Trickster almost choked on his own tongue."_

That was a strange picture to imagine, though Zatanna was sure she didn't have any part of it right. "Okay, get those two back to the cave. Wonder Woman and I will be there in a second."

The moment, the magician dropped her hand from her ear, she heard Diana step up behind her. "Are you sure there is nothing more we can do?" the Amazon questioned.

"Sorry to say, but they were dead they moment they breathed that gas in," Zatanna answered as she turned her head to look at the taller woman. "I was hoping alien bodies could resist that poison long enough for Flash to sedate them. Looks like I was right."

Diana seemed to understand just what it was Zatanna had to do and nodded her acknowledgement. Thank God. "Then we best be off."

"And hopefully without the rotten egg smell." Okay, that was a lame try at a joke, but really, she had to at least try to lighten up the mood, no matter how sickened she felt. No wonder Bruce drove himself into the dirt trying to find a cure for that despicable gas. Huh, now that Zatanna thought about it, ever since she came back to Gotham she was finding herself more and more in Bruce's shoes.

She wasn't too sure that was a good thing.

* * *

He had forgotten. He had forgotten about him, them, and all they had done. It was heart-wrenching to just fathom it. A betrayal if he ever knew of one.

But like Daddy Joker had told him on a frigid summer morning: don't get mad, blow up a city and then get mad. Hmm, that didn't sound right, but what the hell! That's what he was going to do and by golly he would make it memorable!

So memorable, Bat-face wouldn't _ever_ forget it.

Standing on top of one of Gotham's taller buildings, Joker looked out over the sleepy little town. It had been a long time since he had given it the wedgie it deserved and a simple whoopee cushion was not enough to announce to the world that Uncle Joker was back, bigger, funnier, and more lethal than ever before. He needed something grander, funnier, and with a pinch of property destruction as garnish.

"Hey, Boss, everything's set," one of his goons said behind him. It was about damn time too because he had a schedule to keep, places to be, people to kill, and children to traumatize; and he never failed to be early for those appointments. "Uhh, you sure about this?"

What was this? A conscience? Who gave the bumbling lackies permission to actually think? "Am I sure?" The Joker turned to look at the kid in the terrible checkered pants. The jester hat was a nice touch, but seriously, why did all of his cannon fodder insist on raiding Goodwill? When this was over, he was doing an overhaul of the dress code. "Am I _sure?_ Was I sure when I beat that litter of puppies to death with that cat? Was I sure when I thought that flying moron from Metropolis really should've thought better than to wear his underwear on the outside? You bet your jingle bells I did! And I'm just as certain that I want to tear this city a whole new asshole! A bug has crawled up this city's ass and I'm the exterminator with the anal probe!"

He turned to fully face the now-sweaty goon, who was now on the verge of soiling himself. At least Joker thought he was; if not, he was losing his touch. He'd have to work on that later. "Now, if you're done asking stupid questions," his voice suddenly dropped down several octaves, "give me my detonator before I cut your hand off and feed it to my pooches."

The goon immediately stuck his hand out, detonator in hand. Joker swiped it from his grasp, turning away from the moron as he looked back out over the city. Lessons that weren't paid with blood were lessons that were soon forgotten. Lesson #1: No candy after six o'clock—that stuff rots your teeth out, ya know. And Lesson #2: don't ever, _ever_ piss off a homicidal maniac with destructive tendencies. It just never ends well for anyone, except him.

Batsy would be finding that out soon enough. It was beyond Joker how he ignored their special time together and all the wondrous feelings it had created. It had been the high point of his life as he was sure it had been for big, dark, and broody.

"He forgot all that we had," he grunted out more to himself than anything else. "So if I jog his memory a bit, he'll remember. He'll have to remember. I'll _make_ him remember."


	14. Deja Vu All Over Again

"Sire, we have received word from Gotham."

The Demon's Head stirred in his seat, eyelids sliding open to reveal steely blue eyes. Rolling his eyes to a side, he saw Ubu standing at his side, a walkie-talkie in his hand being offered to him.

Cooly gazing at his right-hand man, Ra's al Ghul took the receiver and held it before him. For the first time in quite some time, he was unsure of what he was about to hear. It was rare that any of his subordinates requested his presence to inform him of their progress. In fact, most were content on sending word to him through messengers, the belief they were unworthy to speak to him in any manner encouraging such behavior.

That is to say they weren't entirely wrong in that belief.

Pressing the talk button, Ra's ordered, "Speak."

The voice of the Detective came through the receiver, slightly distorted by the static. "_The pit has been secured and sealed."_

A thin smile appeared on his ancient face, still youthful to all who laid eyes on him. This was not what he would refer to as news that required his due diligence. A task such as this was not difficult in its implementation. "Then proceed to your next objective, Detective," he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, a small spark of irritation effectively masked.

"_Negative, there was a breach in security that needs to be taken care of."_

The Demon raised an eyebrow as he stared at the device dispassionately. That was in stark contrast to the hint of curiosity he also felt. Who was so brave and foolish to think they could infiltrate the ranks of his Fangs? Even more pressing was how they managed to slip by the Detective. There had been extremely few mishaps on the dark-clad man's watch that when they occurred they were more amusements than serious faults. This was not an amusement. "How has this happened?"

"_Subject led a force of three to four hundred attackers. While they occupied the outside guard, the subject found the hidden path and confronted me just before the pit entrance. He has since fled back to Gotham."_

That really caught Ra's attention. This was certainly surprising, especially since the intruder managed to evade capture by his current favored pawn. This was incredibly unlike him. "Are you sure the pit is secured?" he pressed urgently.

"_Affirmative. I have investigated the site and the subject completely ignored it. He was more interested in me."_

That was no cause for concern then. "Dispatch a unit to eliminated the intruder and continue on with your primary objective, Detective," he ordered. "They are of no consequence."

"_Negative."_

Ra's stopped as he processed that response. Someone was disobeying his direct order? Jaw tightening, he gripped the walkie-talkie tightly as he said sternly, "You have your orders, Detective; I suggest you followed them through."

Instead of the affirmative he expected, the Detective answered, "_This breach occurred under my watch and I will be the one to rectify it. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit upon my return, but I will fulfill my obligation to you. Detective over and out."_

And with that, the call ended. There was a brief silence as the Demon's Head regarded the walkie-talkie, unsure if that conversation had really happened. Of course, Ubu could not contain his rage as he spat out, "Blasphemous! I will drag that dog back here so he can beg for a swift death!"

The corner of Ra's mouth twitched upward. "That will be unnecessary, Ubu." Out of the corner of his eye, he amusedly noted the flabbergasted look on his manservant's face. Ignoring it, he held out the communication device to him, to which Ubu removed from his hand.

Still, Ubu was not ready to let this drop. "But Master, the dog has disobeyed a direct order. He must be punished!"

"All in due time, Ubu," the man said, pressing his palms together in front of his face as his fingers steepled. "It has been quite some time since someone showed such steel in my presence. I would like to observe where this act of impudence goes. If the Detective succeeds, then I may be inclined to overlook this infraction; if he fails, however, he will receive swift punishment."

A twinkle appeared in his eye, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face. He would most definitely watch this pawn intently. He was proving to be quite useful and, dare he say, ambitious. It would seem his daughter had chosen wisely.

Now it was time to see just _how_ wisely.

* * *

The Medbay was in use again, only this time Hawkgirl and the Martian Manhunter were the occupants. A steady flow of IV fluids and sedatives were keeping them hydrated and unconscious for the time being. In the meantime, quick action was needed.

The moment Zatanna had returned to the cave she had instantly went to the Batcomputer and brought up the Joker Venom antidote formula. Thankfully Flash had returned mere seconds later with his unconscious load and immediately put the antidote into production. There were some parts that would naturally take longer than others, but Flash could do everything else in seconds that would've taken...well, much longer.

Of course, Stewart wasn't happy when he saw the formula hovering on the computer screen. "Are you telling me there was an antidote the entire time?" he demanded angrily. "What about all those people out there?" he then gestured wildly in the direction of the construction site. "You left them out there to die!"

Zatanna whipped her head around to glare at him, unshed tears welling up around her eyes. "You think I don't know that?!" she shouted back just as heatedly. "It makes me sick to my stomach to do that, but the only way those people could be saved was if a batch of this stuff was made and ready for use. Problem is no one's made any of this in three years, not in the quantity you told me you needed. So unless you wanted to play God so badly and chose who lived and died, then get off my back!"

"Both of you, calm down," Superman intervened. "It was a bad situation with only bad choices to be made. The only thing we can do right now is get a supply going and be ready for the next outbreak."

Lantern still didn't look pleased, but at least he wasn't harping on her. "I still say we could've tried to save some of them," he groused

Zatanna glared at him but chose to not respond to that; it just wasn't worth the effort. Faintly, she was starting to see how Bruce felt about this stuff. That brought up a new question: "What the heck was Joker Venom doing out there anyways?"

That caused Superman and Green Lantern to look at her questioningly. "Joker Venom?" the Kryptonian repeated as if those words were just too ludicrous to be next to each other.

That was when Diana joined the conversation, standing on the other side of the magician. "This is not the first time you've mentioned that name. What is it?"

"A very nasty poison," the shorter woman answered tightly. "The Joker exposed an entire crowd to it when he was running around. It killed everyone exposed to it in minutes."

"How big of a crowd are we talking about," Lantern asked gruffly.

"Five hundred plus."

That caught his attention. "You have to be joking."

Zatanna turned her head to give him a look. "I wouldn't use that word if I were you. You just watched a bunch of people laugh themselves to death."

Lantern grimaced before he finally chilled just a bit. "Okay, I get it," he finally acknowledged, perhaps the closest thing to an apology the dark-haired woman was going to get.

The magician didn't soften her glare a bit. He deserved as much for being a jerk. "The question still stands though: how did it get out there? There's only so many places a person could find that stuff, much less make it."

"The Jokerz," he responded. "It was like several of them had bombs straps to them. I saw this one Joker detonate them when I confronted him." He shook his head. "Guy was completely off his rocker too."

"What did he look like?"

"White face, green hair." Lantern paused as he frowned as he tried to recall more. "These red lips."

Zatanna felt the blood in her face drain out as she paled. No, no way. No, no, no, this was _not_ happening. Jerking around, the dark-haired woman saw one of the nearby stalagmites and threw her hand towards it, "Ecomeb rekoj," she commanded.

In a burst of smoke, the stalagmite vanished, only to reappear in a life-size image of the Joker, grinning face, groomed green hair, and purple suit. It was just like the way he looked when he had taken over her show at the Jezebel.

The three heroes stared at the figure, Superman and Diana blankly as Stewart studied it. "That's close," he admitted before raising his hand, a soft green light shining out from his ring. An image of a man with stringy hair, scar markings on his face, and a trench coat appeared next to Zatanna's magically created statue, albeit with a green cast to him. Hesitantly, the magician approached the two figures, giving the Lantern's creation a thorough look-over. Aside from the hair and scarring, they both shared the same evil eyes, long sharp nose, and lips.

Zatanna's hands began to tremble. There was no mistaking it, that was most definitely that scumball. She had hoped and prayed he had gone down in flames with Bruce, but apparently Hell wanted nothing to do with the maniac and spat him back out.

One thing was clear though: they were going to need a lot more antidote.

"Hsinav," she chanted with a wave, her Joker disappearing in a cloud of smoke to return to its original rocky form. Spinning back around, the magician walked back to the computer, a look of determination on her face. If Joker was back, then she would see him behind bars before this night was over.

Allowing his own Joker to fade away, Stewart crossed his arms over his chest before he said, "There was also another thing. When the others and I got to the construction site, the Jokerz were in a brawl with the Society of Assassins."

That caused Superman and Diana to snap their heads over to look at him. "What were they doing there?" Diana demanded.

"No idea," he answered with a shrug. "We weren't able to investigate because of that Joker Venom. I want to go back to the site for further investigation."

Superman nodded. "I'll go with you. Until we know what's going on, it's best we go in pairs."

Stewart returned the nod with one of his own. "Agreed."

"It would be best if you waited," Diana interjected. "There may be more of this Joker Venom there, so you should take some of the antidote with you when it's ready. There's no telling how long this gas will take to dissipate and you may be exposed."

"Good idea."

Suddenly, the Batcomputer lit up with red light, an alarm blaring throughout the cave, causing Zatanna to jump where she stood, wide eyes staring with alarm. All heads not belonging to her snapped over to the screen, a red whirlwind suddenly racing up and coming to a stop next to them.

"What the heck is that?!" Flash exclaimed as he stared with the others at the computer.

Zatanna's fingers danced over the keyboard until a window appeared. It was a grid of Gotham, large red dots appearing throughout the northern part of the city. With a frown, the dark-haired woman responded, "A lot of fires," her voice questioning. When a couple more dots appeared, her frown deepened. "Hang on a second," she said as she began typing again.

This time another window appeared, this of real time footage in the city. The view was from a traffic camera, so the majority of the sight was of the street. Switching through a couple other cameras, it was a stroke of luck that she found a camera captured the sight a building next to the intersection suddenly becoming consumed with light before exploding with flames.

"Fires my ass," Stewart declared. "Those are bombs!"

Eyes widening, Zatanna went back to the Gotham grid, looking at where all the dots were. Couple that with the news of the Joker's return and it didn't take her long at all to figure out what was going on. "Joker's attacking the city again," she said. "He's trying to burn it down again and he's definitely not taking his time again."

"The construction site can wait," Superman spoke up, hands balling up into fists. "We're going to have to stop this before the entire city is destroyed."

* * *

Well, Lois was back in Gotham again. Sad to say it hadn't changed all that much since her last visit and that was a little disappointing. Just because she had moved away didn't mean she wanted to see her old stomping grounds go to crap.

Faintly, the reporter wondered why she bothered coming back to this dump. That thought was immediately answered by her reason for being here: Perry White. Okay, okay, so she volunteered for this gig out of some sort of misplaced loyalty. It was just much easier to blame her boss.

With her luggage lying on the floor, the dark-haired woman laid back on her bed. She was staying in one of the better hotels in the city, which she immediately compared to her old apartment and came to the conclusion that this was a hell of a lot nicer. It certainly helped that she was paid better since she joined the Daily Planet, so she could afford a nicer hotel.

Lois sighed. Perhaps she had jumped the gun a little coming to Gotham so earlier. The anniversary thing wasn't for another couple of days, which left her too much time to reminisce and reflect on how different everything was, at least when in contrast to her life in Metropolis. Damn Bruce for dying so that she had to make this trip every year.

And just as sudden as she had that thought, she immediately took it back. It hadn't been his fault for what happened and despite their interactions, she felt she needed to at least pay some respect to the man. It was the least she could do for him saving her that one time. If she was honest with herself, and she tended to be to a brutal level, she'd keep coming here until Gotham either rotted away, or she couldn't physically make the trip. Damn loyalty.

It was because of these deep thoughts that Lois wasn't completely disturbed by a low rumbling off in the distance. Lois had thought it odd, but guessed some idiot had fired off some fireworks within the city limits. Another rumbling, this one much closer, made her start to rethink that, even looking to the large glass door that led to the balcony with a look of curiosity. In fact, she could've swore she felt her bed shake.

That was when the rumbling became a deafening eruption, the sight of a nearby building exploding into flames. In an instant, Lois shot out of her bed and was tearing open her balcony door. Faintly she thought that any sane person would've dove for cover instead of charging for a better look. Maybe Jimmy was onto something with calling her crazy.

That was a thought for another time. Standing on her balcony, Lois stared at the sight of the burning building, soon greeted with another building exploding off in the distance, followed by another and then another.

Dear God, terrorists were attacking!

And what a scoop she had on her hands! Bolting back into her room, Lois tore into her luggage, pulling out her tape recorder and a small pad of paper and pen. She paused for a moment to wonder about her sanity that she was even considering going out to report on the explosions, not to mention Gotham's infamous nightlife of criminals.

...better take her mace too.

* * *

"HAAAA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Oh, it was glorious, beautiful, stupendous! Joker had forgotten what it was like to blow a building into smithereens. The glow that emerged from the building soon bursting out with flames before that thunderous roar of the blast echoed out was truly magical. Oh, he was definitely not going to forget to do this on New Years.

In the distance, sirens began wailing, probably from the fire brigade. The cops would be scrambling around like they always did and the ambulances, oh the ambulances, they'd be stuffed full of crying, burning, dying people. It was like a symphony to his ears and he was ready to conduct his masterpiece.

Hopefully, Batsy was somewhere out there, running himself ragged as he tried to save every person he could, not that he would. Huff and puff all he wanted, not even he had Bat-Breath strong enough to put out these fires. Of course, that raised the question of what Batsy had been even eating to get that kind of funk, but hey, who was he to judge?

Holding his hand out, Joker called out, "Oh Sammy, be a doll and get me my microphone. It's time I address my adoring public."

A mike was slapped firmly onto his hand, and Joker wrapped his bony digits around it. "There you go, Boss," Sammy grunted. What a nice guy. Ignoring the thug, Joker admired his handiwork for a moment, getting lost in the beauty of the dancing flames. No wonder arsonists played with matches.

However, it was time to move to the next phase. The first wave was over and it was time for intermission.

Hey, he could be a nice guy when he wanted to be.

* * *

The Detective felt an odd sense of deja vu. Standing on the corner of a building, he looked out over the city, various buildings selected at random engulfed in flames. He had only just arrived at his present location when the first explosion went off. One by one, a new explosion rang out into the night, lighting up the landscape with orange and red, thick black clouds of smoke reaching up to the heavens.

And then, just as sudden as they had started, they stopped. A headcount told him fifteen buildings had been destroyed, along with the countless number of lives that had perished. The pure randomness made it difficult for the black-clad man to find a pattern. There were a few high-rises that had been lit up, which were then followed by warehouses over by the docks, and then some office buildings in the business district. If mass casualties were Joker's endgame, then some of the buildings he had destroyed left something to be desired. Property damage had been his next line of thinking, only to see some bombs goes off in what appeared to be lower income neighborhoods.

It honestly looked as if it had been a scatter shot of places that had been chosen for this attack. That's where the Detective ended his line of thinking; it was the only thing that made sense. Joker was just simply blowing up whatever he wanted without much forethought.

For some reason, he wasn't surprised by that.

However, it remained the psychotic clown was somewhere out here. Even as some white clouds began to raise into the air, a sign that the fire department was beginning to put out the blazes, the black-clad man couldn't help but think about his confrontation with the madman. After his words at the construction site, the Detective knew Joker would be admiring his work, rejoicing in the insanity of it all. It was just a matter of finding the right vantage point.

"_Ehem, hem, hem, ohhh Batsy! Yoohoo!"_

Speak of the devil…

"_I know you're out there, probably doing good-doer things, but listen up! This is important! If I know you_—_and believe me, I do_—_you're trying to save as many people as you can, even if they're horribly burning alive. Now, if I were you, I'd drop that extra crispy corpse_—_preferably off the side of a building, but hey, that's just my preference. Anyways...where was I? Oh right! Drop your dead weight and come catch me! Just like old times, am I right?"_

Well, that was the plan, not that the Detective was taking any suggestions. The only problem was that Gotham was a big city and Joker could be just about anywhere. The moment he had heard the clown's voice, he had tried figuring it out where it was coming from, only to find a loudspeaker on the corner of a building. Considering that it was bolted to the building's wall with wires trailing down to the street and headed right for a powerline pole, the Detective surmised that the device had been there for awhile. So that meant the Joker had hijacked it for his uses, most likely with his own frequency.

All that meant was that he still had no lead as to where the psycho was. However, that was all about to change when Joker began speaking again.

"_Now, I know it has been awhile, and since I'm such a nice guy, I decided to give you some help! Keep your ears open and eyes peeled; I can only do this once."_

A flash of light off to his left caught the Detective's attention, followed by the roar of several explosions going off one after the other. Jerking his head, the black-clad man caught the tail end as multiple buildings burst into flames, a choking cloud of smoke billowing high into the air. Unexpectedly, he felt anger at the sight of it. He wasn't sure as to why.

Fortunately, that irrational feeling didn't cloud his more logical side. Staring at the fires, he began to see they formed some sort of...line. No, lines, as in multiple. One was horizontal while two were diagonal to the first. He needed a better view to be sure.

Reaching to his belt, the Detective pulled out a gun, an arrow head sticking out of its barrel. Turning to his right, he immediately saw a much taller building next to the one he stood on. Raising his grapple, he fired the arrow at it, a cable twirling behind it until the arrow punctured stone. Tightening his grasp on the gun and then bringing his other hand to make sure his grip was secure, he then hit the retraction button, the cable going taunt before he was hauled up into the air, wind shrieking by his ears. Reaching the end of the line, the Detective released his hold on the gun and used his momentum to carry himself higher still until he flew over the edge of the building, his flight peeking and then dropping him down to land on the roof. Kneeling down, the black-clad man reached for his discarded gun and grabbed it, yanking it out of the stone wall and retrieving it.

Standing back up, the Detective looked towards the group of bombings, eyes narrowing as he saw what he suspected: an arrow of burning buildings pointing him the way he should go. If that's what Joker wanted him to do, then he would do it. It was obvious the crazed man wanted his attention and the Detective was not a person to refuse such a blatant invitation.

Never disappoint the host, even if it was a megalomaniac.


	15. Everyone Gets A Bomb

There was strong and then there was _strong. _Zatanna hadn't spent much time in the company of people that could juggle semi-trucks in their sleep and really hadn't appreciated some of the feats that strength allowed them to do. It was sort of one of those out of sight, out of mind things.

So now that she was around people who yawned while doing bench presses with firetrucks, the dark-haired woman found her mouth dropping more times than not.

For instance, after leaving the Batcave, the magician found herself in the company of Wonder Woman again. Not too surprisingly, Flash had moped about that pairing as he was stuck with Superman and Green Lantern. Anyways, Zatanna and her Amazonian partner had magicked themselves into Gotham as quickly as the magician could get them there. Her spell had placed them right in front of a burning apartment building, raging fires bursting out of broken windows and sending up a large cloud of black smoke.

And while Zatanna had been trying to figure out how much magical energies she needed to put the blaze out, Diana had strolled right to a fire hydrant and ripped the top right off of it like it was made of tissue paper. At first the magician had been speechless at that nonsensicalness of the action, especially when the water in the hydrate spew out of it.

Then Diana forced one of her hands into the geyser and with that hand alone directed the pressurized water at the burning building. It was like someone putting their thumb over the head of a garden hose, an intense spray of water shooting high into the air and washing over the building. And thanks to the pressure in the pipes, more and more water spewed out.

Completely in control, Diana adjusted her spray, making sure to hit as much of the building as she could, starting from the top and working her way down. There wasn't a window that didn't get its own stream for at least a few second. White smoke soon began joining the thick black smoke, mingling together until only white steam wafted up into the sky.

Then just as suddenly as she started, Diana then pressed the hydrant top back on the hydrant, squeezing the edges against each other to seal the flow off. Once done, the taller woman called out, "That should give us some time to get anyone trapped in that building out of there."

That snapped Zatanna out of her daze. "Huh? You mean the fire isn't out?"

"I was only able to get this side, so the rest of the building is still burning."

"Oh." Zatanna turned back to the building, staring at it intently. "Can you give a better idea how much is still burning?"

The Amazon nodded before lifting up into the air and taking off to fly around the building. All the while, Zatanna began channeling her energies, gathering them until her fingertips began to tingle. It kinda made her want to giggle from the sensation, but she kept a lid on that. Focusing, she kept a tight reign on the magical energies, lest it go wild and rip her apart.

Soon, Diana returned, touching down a couple feet away from her. "The other side of the building is still burning with portions of the sides as well," she reported.

That was definitely more manageable. "Just...give me...three seconds…" she murmured, her eyes closed. It was sort of a habit when she did larger spells. She had claimed to Nimue it helped her concentrate, who had then told her she was being an idiot and to stop. You just couldn't please some people.

Opening her eyes, she could imagine that Diana was taken back by the white glow of her normally blue eyes. At least, Zatanna hoped it was white cause she could feel her eyeballs radiating with power. Raising both of her arms up, pointing her hands to the building, she then chanted, "Serif og tuo!"

And just like that, the power was gone, fleeing her in an instant. A drained feeling overwhelmed the magician, but she kept herself rooted to her spot. Wouldn't do to let everyone know just how much that had taken out of her and it wasn't even a completely burning building.

Unfortunately, there wasn't really any sign that her spell worked, which was rather disappointing. "Hey, can you go check to see if the fire's out?" she asked Diana sheepishly. "I can't tell if it worked or not."

The Amazon merely nodded in response, a kind smile on her lips before she took flight again. Once more, the taller woman disappeared around the building, but she didn't return like she had previously. Instead, Zatanna heard Diana's voice pop up in her ear via their communicator. "_The fire is out, Sister,"_ Diana praised her. "_I'm going in to lend assistance."_

"You do that," Zatanna responded, a finger pressed against the earpiece she wore. "I'm just gonna catch my breath a little."

And with that, Zatanna wobbly walked to a nearby building and leaned against, soon sliding down until her butt plopped down on the sidewalk. She wasn't as winded as she thought she would be, but she definitely needed a few moments to recover. Still, putting out a partially burning building made her wonder if she had enough power to do the entire thing.

"_You are trying to do too much,"_ Nimue's voice rang in her head then, a reprimand from times long gone. "_Remember, there is always another way to achieve your goal."_

Well, wasn't that a convenient memory to have. Zatanna glanced over to the misshapen fire hydrant, staring at it for several moments as she considered Nimue's words. She was starting to get a couple ideas.

Minutes later, Diana landed next to her. "We are finished here, Sister," the Amazon informed her.

Standing back up, Zatanna absently brushed off her backside. "Okay, so where's the next place?"

In response, Diana held out an arm to her. "I can fly us over there. You can rest a little longer."

Well, that was most certainly a tempting prospect. What the hell, why not? Walking over to Diana, she felt the taller woman wrap her arm around her and the two of them shot up into the air. With a squeak, Zatanna grabbed onto Diana tightly with both of her arms. Oh boy, she was flying. She was really flying! Again! And just to prove it, she looked down at the ground that was...definitely a long way down.

Damn it, she just violated the first rule of heights, hadn't she?

Okay, okay, no need to panic, she had an Amazon holding her up, one that ripped apart a hunk of metal like it was nothing. She was practically a woman version of Superman and he had a reputation for catching people in mid-air. Surely Diana had a good enough grip not to drop her and not make her into a puddle of splattered magician. Oh God, she was picturing it now.

Man, she really sucked at this comforting thing.

"This next one isn't nearly as big," she heard Diana say to her, causing Zatanna to stop her mental freak out and actually pay attention. Looking ahead, the shorter woman saw some three story building that had seen better days...most likely twenty minutes ago. As they closed in on it, Diana began lowering them down, much to Zatanna's relief. Hey, she'd like to see you not get creeped out by having nothing by air beneath your feet and pavement.

And wouldn't you know it, there was also a fire hydrant on this block too. "Hey, Diana," she called out, getting the other woman's attention. Pointing to the hydrant, she said, "Land there."

Just as requested, the Amazon landed then next to the hydrant. The distance between it and the building was further though, so Zatanna could see Diana eyeballing it to gauge just how to angle the pressurized water. So, the magician lent her a hand. "If you would just rip open that piece of rust iron, I'll take care of the rest."

Diana glanced at her for a moment only to nod her acknowledgement. Stepping to the hydrant, she grabbed the top and tore it off, the water spray high into the air. All the while, Zatanna had been gathering her energies again, not nearly as much as the previous building, but this time she didn't need all of that. Holding a hand up to the geyser, she called out, "Retaw," then pointed her other hand to the burning building, "og ereht."

A violet aura appeared around the water for a moment before the top of the spout suddenly made a ninety degree angle, flowing high over the street and covering the distance between the women and the building. Once it was over the blaze, the neat column ended and the water spilled all over the building. The familiar hissing sound of dying flames reached Zatanna's ears as white smoke wafted up into the air.

"Very good," Diana complimented her, nodding in approval.

"Thanks," Zatanna returned as she looked at the burnt out structure. "I think that's all we need. Cap it off."

The water ended a moment later as Diana forced the lid back on, crimping the iron like she did on the previous hydrant. Using the last of the water, Zatanna made sure it reached the now flood-damaged building, calling off her magic when that was done. "Well, that's another one down. Where—"

"_Ehem, hem, hem, ohhh Batsy! Yoohoo!"_

What the?

"_I know you're out there, probably doing good-doer things, but listen up!_" Zatanna's eyes widened. That was the Joker! And he was calling out for Bruce! So did that mean he was here too? "_This is important! If I know you_—_and believe me, I do_—_you're trying to save as many people as you can, even if they're horribly burning alive. Now, if I were you, I'd drop that extra crispy corpse_—_preferably off the side of a building, but hey, that's just my preference. Anyways...where was I? Oh right! Drop your dead weight and come catch me! Just like old times, am I right?"_

Ugh, this guy was just as talkative when she met him the last time. But it was very obvious he had some other plan going on here and it was directed at Bruce. What was this guy's endgame?

"_Now, I know it has been awhile, and since I'm such a nice guy, I decided to give you some help! Keep your ears open and eyes peeled; I can only do this once."_

Suddenly, the roar of multiple explosions burst out, causing both women to jerk their heads to the west. One after another, buildings erupted into flames, thunderous booms echoing out into the night.

Instantly, Diana shot up into the air to get a better look at it. "What is that?" Zatanna shouted at her through their communicators.

"_A group of buildings were bombed,"_ came the answer from her earpiece, and one the magician didn't like. The Joker must have more bombs throughout the city and there was no telling when they'd go off. "_And they appear to be making an arrow."_

_An arrow?_ What was the purpose of that? Thinking back to Joker's words, she tried to make sense of them with this latest antic. _Help out, an arrow…_

Was Joker pointing out where he was? That had to be it; she hoped that was it. That meant he wanted Bruce to come find him. That was hardly an invitation he would ignore.

A sense of trepidation filled the magician. So consumed by it, she wasn't aware of Diana landing next to her. "Come, we're heading to those bombings," the Amazon said, holding her arm out.

That shook Zatanna out of her musings. "Wait a second, I'm thinking." That caught the other woman off as she looked startled. "Okay, which one of us can find a bomb?" the magician asked.

Diana pondered that for a moment before answering, "Flash could do a building-by-building search faster than anyone, but Superman has x-ray vision."

Zatanna pounced on that. "Call up Superman. Tell him to start finding bombs and getting rid of them. I have no doubt Joker has more of them and he's just waiting for the right moment to use them."

"Consider it done." In an instant, the Amazon activated her earpiece, and began speaking, "Superman, come in."

Eying the taller woman carefully, Zatanna slowly began walking away, taking cover in a nearby alleyway before moving at full stride. "Sorry, Diana," she muttered under her breath as she reached a turn in the alleyway and took it. "But there's something I have to do."

* * *

Superman held his breath for all of a second before he forcefully blew it out. Gail-like winds raced from his lips and slammed into the out-of-control fire before him, the flames instantly being pushed back. Superman kept up the onslaught as the blaze receded and died out, coming to a stop a couple moments after he couldn't see a lick of fire. Using his x-ray vision, he searched the charred building for any fires he missed and, more importantly, any people that had been trapped inside.

Hitting his comm link, the Kryptonian spoke, "Flash, I see people on the third, fourth, and sixth floors."

In an instant, a red streak raced into the building. Less than a second, it reappeared before going back in again and again. One by one, people were placed on the street, looking befuddled by how they got there until Flash reappeared one last time, sitting down an overweight, middle-aged man.

"_Got 'em all, Supes. Where to now?"_

"Five blocks down and twelve across, you'll come to another fire. That's where I'm—"

"_Already on it, Big Guy."_

That's when Flash raced off, shortly followed by a red blur circling the burning building. The blur grew bigger and bigger until it completely blocked the fire from sight, forming a miniature tornado. Then, just as sudden as it appeared, the red whirlwind faded away, the blaze gone with only a few streaks of black smoke rising to indicate anything had been burning.

"That works too," Superman commented before turning his attention elsewhere. "John, status report."

"_Just about finished with another fire,"_ John immediately replied. "_I think we're almost done here."_

"_Ehem, hem, hem, ohhh Batsy! Yoohoo!"_

"_What the?"_ John responded, just as confused as Superman. Focusing on his hearing, the Kryptonian soon realized the voice was coming from all over the city, making it that much more difficult to pinpoint. Even from where he floated, he could tell that something was off with this Joker fellow. It was one of those voices that dripped with crazy.

"_Keep your ears open and eyes peeled; I can only do this once."_

Now what did that mean? A moment later, the Man of Steel found out as explosions erupted somewhere behind him. Jerking around, he saw new fires bursting to life. Incredibly, it looked as if he were seeing an arrow form from each destroyed building.

"Did you see that John? Flash?" Superman called out into his communicator.

"_Yeah, I did," John immediately answered. "I'll meet you over there in a minute. Flash?"_

"_Three steps ahead of ya; I'm already on my way."_

"_Superman?"_ Diana's voice suddenly spoke up. "_Come in."_

"Diana," the Kryptonian responded. "You saw those explosions, right? Flash, Lantern, and I are on our way there."

"_That will have to wait,"_ the Amazon replied. "_Zatanna and I believe there are more bombs in the city. We need to find them first before the Joker detonates them."_

Superman frowned. That was a problem he hadn't been expecting. "What about the fires?"

"_Zatanna and I will take care of them. Your priority should be to find and disable the bombs."_

"Got it. Flash, John, new plan."

"_You sure?"_ Flash spoke up. "_I'm like two seconds away."_

Superman clenched his fist. Aside from him, there was no one else that could remove the bombs as quickly as possible; on the other hand, there were people trapped in those buildings that needed help and Flash was practically there. A choice had to be made. "Put out those fires, Flash," the Kryptonian said. "When you're finished, help me and John with the bombs."

"_Consider it done."_

Flying higher in the air, Superman wanted the best vantage point for spotting the bombs. Coming to a stop, he activated his x-ray vision and began searching the city. Almost immediately, he spotted an unusual shape within the wall of one of the buildings. It was rectangular in shape and black, almost like a briefcase. In fact, he was sure it used to be a briefcase, only now it had wires and explosives inside of it. Taking that as his bomb, he began looking for more just like it. Alarmingly, he found several more bombs just beneath him, one under each building. A frown appeared on his face as he continued his search, keeping a mental count that kept growing and growing. Jaw dropping, he changed his search from his section of the city to the rest of it, nearly falling out of the air upon seeing the most distressful of sights.

The entire northern side of the city was infested with bombs.

How was that even possible? There was no way the Joker had enough time to put a bomb in each place like this, not since his sudden reemergence. He would've had to be at it for years!

Yet, he had been missing for years, ever since the Great Gotham Fire. He must've been spending all that time placing a bomb under each building. Had he managed to get the entire city though?

Looking towards the river, the Kryptonian let out a sigh of relief, though only just barely. While the northside was wired and ready to blow, only the buildings closest to the south bank of the Gotham River had a trace of explosive devices. The rest of the south was bomb-free.

"John, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. Every building north of the river is wired."

"_You've got to be kidding me!"_ John exclaimed. "_Where do we even start?"_

"I can see some bombs along the southern bank too," Superman continued, though he knew Lantern's feeling all too well. "But it's only the ones along the bank. You clear out that area and I'll start here in the north. Let me know when you finish."

"_Roger that. Lantern out."_

Dropping his hand down, Superman then looked to the buildings below. Adjusting his x-ray vision, he began trying to locate where exactly one of the bombs was in its building, finding it in what appeared to be a wall of one of the first floor rooms. Focusing further, he checked for any possible booby trap or tripwire that may activate it should it be moved. After that, he searched the entire block, finding the same sort of bomb, though in various places throughout their respective buildings.

Well, now that he knew there weren't any motion sensors, it made cleaning up this block that much easier.

Leaning forward, the Kryptonian began falling from the sky, heading head first for the street. His body accelerated as wind beat at his body. He kept speeding towards the ground until the last second went he put on a burst of superspeed, swinging his body around as his feet came to touch down on the asphalt. Without so much as creating a crack, he shot towards the buildings, a red-and-blue blur that flew through the air. Everything around him went still as he moved, from a nearby speeding police car, the people on the sidewalk that were staring in the direction of various destroyed buildings, and even the occasion person that spotted him moving by them, their heads painfully slow as they turned to watch him even though he was gone by the time they could fully turned.

Superman was in and out of each building in mere seconds, leaving only partial damage to walls, floor, or ceiling if the situation called for it. One...two...four...seven...eleven...thirteen… he mentally counted before he was back over the city, his arm holding the counted bombs. There that was one block safe.

Looking down at them, they were all just as he suspected, a briefcase that had been used for their mad owner's uses. Additionally, the image of a joker's card was painted on one side of the cases, identifying beyond a doubt who made the bombs. In the right hand corner of each briefcase, the Man of Steel could see small green lights blinking on and off, a sign the bombs were just waiting to be triggered.

Tilting his head up, the Kryptonian looked to the bay, judging just how far he was from it. It'd be a simple task to just dump the bombs outside the harbor, but that would waste precious seconds that he may not be able to afford.

So he did the next best thing. Spinning as fast as he could, he waited until he reached terminal velocity before he let go of the bombs, sending them flying out towards the bay and nearly vanishing over the horizon. He made sure to follow them with his x-ray vision until he was sure they had landed in the ocean.

There, now onto the next block.

Up, down, spin, repeat. Over and over Superman dove down, retrieving every bomb he could and throwing them at different parts of the bay. Faintly, he could pick out green light towards the river, a sign of John doing his part there. After another bomb run, he took note of Flash's progress with the fires, finding many of them already out, another red whirlwind blowing out one of the blazes.

That made Superman pause in midair. Focusing on those buildings, he sought out Diana and Zatanna. They said they'd be over there, but he wasn't seeing any sign of their handiwork, which he found discerning.

Raising a hand up, he activated the comm link. "Wonder Woman, Zatanna, come in." After waiting for a few seconds, he repeated himself, once more waiting. Again, no response. That set the Kryptonian at ill ease. "Flash, have you seen any of the ladies?"

He was greeted with another pause, which was unusual for Flash, but the red-clad man did response. "_Can't say that I have. Any clue where they are?"_

And one of those tough choices reared its head again. Did he go search for the missing women, or did he ensure Gotham was bomb-free? Something was obviously wrong if either woman wasn't answering, yet danger was still present for the civilians.

"Change of plan, Flash. After you finish putting out those fires, go look for Wonder Woman and Zatanna. I'll join you when I've finished with the bombs."

"_You got it."_

Dropping his hand, Superman made to go after another set of bombs when he heard a very familiar sound. It was loud, high-pitched, and most definitely a scream. Superman stiffened as he realized he'd heard that scream so many times before it was practically a staple in his life.

"Lois."

* * *

The saner part of Lois was questioning why she was running out into chaos, people fleeing in all directions from burning buildings and exploding bombs. Everyone else had a healthy survival instinct and were actually listening to it, so why wasn't she? The reporter part of Lois, on the other hand, urged her to go head first into the action.

Guess which one she was ignoring.

Of course, things got even juicier when a rather insane rambling began echoing throughout the city, encouraging a "Batsy" to come and find it. It had taken precisely two seconds for Lois to deduced that "Batsy" was Batman and an additional second to put together that whoever this person was, they obviously thought the vigilante was alive. Which was impossible considering what everyone knew. All that meant was that she had another puzzle to figure out.

So naturally she got side-tracked when an entire section of Gotham was damn near blown sky high. While it sucked that this was happening to begin with, the higher the property damage became, the better the story got.

Running as fast she could, Lois hauled butt to the latest bombings. Fortunately she was only blocks away from it, though that was because the closest initial bombing to her hotel happened to be that way. Reaching one of the burning buildings, the reporter had her tape recorder out and ready for use.

And then the most absurd thing she'd seen in quite some time happened. Out of nowhere a red blur raced by, circling around the blaze and miraculously suffocating the flames. She watched the fire disappear until there was only smoke remaining and dumbly wondered how that even happened. Was there some sort of physics she was unaware of that allowed stuff like this to happen?

Then, the blur disappeared, only to have it streaking in and out of the smoldering building. People appeared on the street and sidewalk, looking confused as to where they were. This went on until the very last person was brought out, holding tightly to a man dressed head to toe in red.

Oh, it was that fast guy that kept racing Superman every year. Well, if that wasn't a motor mouth for her to exploit, then she didn't know what was.

"Flash!" Lois called out, tape recorder held high, hurrying over the street between her and the hero. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet, can I get a comment?"

The Flash didn't even bother looking at her, but she definitely heard him. "Sorry, no time, be back in a bit, and watch out for that—"

Lois didn't actually hear what Flash said next, but she definitely saw it. Apparently the grade-A reporter that she was had failed to actually look both ways before crossing the street and she had run right in front of giant fire engine hauling ass down the road.

Ever had one of those "oh shit" moments? Yeah, Lois was having those at the moment. Problem was, she had developed a bit of a response to situations like these. You wanna hear it? Cause here it comes.

Lois screamed.

The next thing she knew, everything around her went blurry and red and before she knew it, she was safely on the sidewalk, held by a body that was definitely not big, hard, and alien-y. No offense to Flash, but he definitely wasn't as chiseled as Superman, but then very few men were.

And of course, the Flash had to recognize her. "Hey, you're the Big Guy's girl, the one that's always getting into trouble." Of great, was that really how the spandex brigade saw her? "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"Would you believe I was looking for a story?" she suggested half-heartedly.

"Actually I can, but maybe next time do that in Supes' town, not this one. This isn't really the place for—"

Suddenly a streak of blue and red landed right next to them, the surprise face of Superman staring at the two of them. It was then Lois realized she was still up against Flash and that probably wasn't a good scene for her.

"Oh hey, Big Guy," Flash greeted him, raising a hand up to wave at him. "Ran into your girl here and she needed a helping hand."

"I...uh…" the Kryptonian stuttered. "Lois, what are you doing here?"

The dark-haired woman pulled away from Flash, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, there's a hot story—" _really Lane? Puns? _"—and I just happened to be in town. I didn't expect to see you here though."

"We were both in town and thought the good people of Gotham could use a tag-team of Big Blue and Red Lightning," Flash spoke up, hands on his hips. "And as you can see, they need more of us, so I'll catch up with you two lovebirds later."

And with that, Flash sped off, a gust of wind flowing Lois' hair and jacket to the other side of her head and body. Looking off disinterested in the speedster's exit, she then turned her sights onto the Man of Steel. "So, care to tell me what's going on or should I tell Perry about Blue and Red Lightning?"

"This isn't a safe place for you to be," Superman replied to her. "You need to get to the south side of town quickly."

"Any particular reason or just the same old, same old eminent death stuff?"

"More like the building we're next to could explode at any time. The only safe place is south of the river."

Lois whipped her head to look at said building, backing off a step. "Okay, I take it there's a story behind this. A really big story."

"If I said I'd tell you about it after its over, will you go?"

Lois thought about it for a moment and figured there wasn't anyone in the city aside from the Flash that knew what was going on. "I'll hold you to that . In fact, you can fly me there yourself if it makes you any comfortable."

A look of relief appeared on the Man of Steel's face. Holding a hand out to her, he said, "Let's go."

* * *

Got to admit, the ending of the Lois scene is disappointing to me. The build up was great, but the pay off was definitely lacking. Unfortunately I wasn't sure what mess to get her into and that really shows.


	16. Portal To Hell

Joker's arrow had pointed to several buildings throughout the west side of Gotham. Of course, with as flamboyant as the clown was, all of these were immediately ruled out as potential locations for him. It still didn't stop the Detective from landing on each one and checking for a potential clue before moving on.

This led him to staring at the skeleton of a construction site. The outer areas were mostly frames of the future building, providing him with a clear view of the inside. The floors for each level were completed along with some of the inner walls, constructed out of cardboard barriers or actual sheetrock. Most of the construction equipment and supplies were on the ground floor or sat outside the unfinished building, a few random pieces sitting in plain view on the upper floors. This provided the inside with plenty of room for fighting, though not much for hiding.

It also helped that the wooden fence that surrounded the place had smiley faces, HA HA!, and YOU ARE HERE spray painted on it.

The Detective's head suddenly tilted to his right. There, on the northwest corner on the third floor, movement. Pulling out his grapple, he fired the arrow at one of the naked I-beams, hitting the retraction button the moment he heard it make contact. Flying off the roof he stood up, the Detective soared through the air, cape spread wide behind him. Releasing the grapple at the last second, he shot into the construction site on momentum alone, landing on his feet a moment later.

The black-clad man saw he was alone in the section he stood in, but that didn't stop him from launching into a sprint as he raced around one completed wall, finding himself in another open room. Slowing down, his head jerked from side to side, scanning the area for what he thought was the Joker.

Unfortunately, he found nothing. This portion was just as empty as the previous one, though there were small puddles from dripping pipes, the result of shoddy plumping work.

The Detective's face began to scrunch up then. There was something about this place he didn't like. There was something within him that wanted to leave this place quickly, which was a foreign concept to him. He had been all over the world in his service to the Master, yet this was the first place that he wanted nothing more than to leave. It was as some great tragedy had occurred here and he was blindly walking over it. In fact, it felt as if someone had died here. Despite the cool air of the night, he could feel an intense heat on his exposed lower face, the scent of suffocating smoke filling the air.

The sound of metal bolts giving out, shrilly squealing its last protest.

He shook his head. What the hell was going on? He was a trained assassin getting worked up over some inexplicable feeling. He was on a mission, one that was in direct defiance of his orders. This was a moment of weakness he could not afford in this venture.

Giving the room another thorough look, the Detective forged on, moving into a narrow corridor, the walls nothing more than wooden frames. Entering the next room, he came to a stop.

There, over by the open wall and staring out into the burning remains of Gotham, was the Joker, his back to the man. A breeze had blown in, causing his trench coat to billow out, strands of his hair waving about. His hands were empty, his assault rifle nowhere in sight. That didn't mean it wasn't somewhere around here, or that Joker had other weapons on his person.

"Do you remember now?"

The Detective stiffened at Joker's eerily calm voice. Advancing slowly, step by cautious stop, the black-clad man tried to close the distance between the two of them soundlessly, only stopping when Joker turned his head to regard him.

"The backdrop of burning buildings, screaming people, police sirens wailing. You can see it, can't you?" the pale man questioned in his creepily gentle tone, turning his body around to completely face the Detective. "And then we have...here: our portal to Hell. Am I ringing some bells in that tiny Bat-brain of yours?"

"Say what you want," the Detective said, his cloak draped over his body and hiding his hands from sight. "It really doesn't matter in the end. You only have moments to live; make your peace."

Joker tilted his head to a side, looking much like a confused dog. "You...kill me?" he repeated, his brow furrowed as he tried to comprehend that.

Then, the giggling started. "Heh heh heh heh heh." Which then gave into a hearty laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Good one, Batsy! I didn't think you had a joke in that ridiculous helmet of yours."

The Detective scowled. "This isn't a laughing matter."

The clown's face lit up, his lips drawn wide in a large smile. "Of course it is! You...kill me—don't you see how utterly ludicrous that is? That wouldn't happen in a million years and you know it!"

Hands grasping his throwing stars, the black-clad man decided he had an opportunity. This man was obvious under some sort of delusion, one that he would take advantage of. "You don't know me."

"Oh God, you're killing me, Batsy! Of course I know you! I know everything about you! Why, I even know that you're using that cape of yours to hide those lovely batarangs from my sight." He took a step towards the Detective. "I've seen plenty of your tricks and I know them all by heart." Another step. "There's nothing you can do to surpri—"

In an instant, the Detective flung his cloak behind him, sending his throwing stars flying at Joker's head. The pale man ducked the projectiles as they sailed over his head, standing back up with a smile firmly on his face. "See? I knew you were going to throw those at me. Though your aim was a little off. I mean, those were going for my head instead of my hand."

Then Joker frowned. "Are you...closer too?"

The Detective smirked. He had taken a large step towards the man during his throw, shrinking the distance between them further. That seemed to disturb the green-haired man. "I thought you said you knew me?" he taunted.

Joker glared. "Of course I know you! You're just trying to throw me off—"

With his other hand, the Detective sent another shuriken sailing at Joker, who ducked to a side as he was cut off. This, however, blinded him to the second throwing star, which was thrown a second later, slicing through the air until it stabbed into the clown's foot.

A scream tore from Joker's lips as his hands shot down to grab his leg. Focus on his foot, he missed the Detective dashing towards him, leaping at the last second with a fist drawn back. Throwing it, the black-clad man slammed his fist into Joker's face, snapping his head to a side. With the same fist, the Detective swung it back around, backhanding his opponent and forcing his head to the other side. With his other fist, he ended his combo with another blow to the pale man's face, dropping him to the floor.

Strolling to the green-haired man's front, the Detective used the toe of his right boot to push Joker onto his back. With that same foot, he rose it up into the air and then sent it flying down.

Surprisingly, the clown suddenly rolled to a side, the Detective stomping his foot on the floor with a loud _bang!_ Pushing himself up, Joker pulled out a knife his coat, brandishing it in defense. Not even hesitating, the Detective put his weight on his front foot and swung his back leg through the air, kicking the knife out of the green-haired man's grasp, causing him to give a yelp of pain. Keeping his balance, the black-clad man then snapped his foot back, the heel of his boot ramming into the side of Joker's face and sent him crashing back to the floor.

Bringing his leg down, the Detective took a step forward before leaning down, grabbing Joker by his coat and hauling him up. Pivoting on his feet, he spun around with his opponent in his grasp, giving out a yell as he then threw Joker through the air, the man hitting a wall of sheetrock and causing it to dent in and a large crack to appear. The clown collapsed to the ground a moment later in a heap.

As the man laid on the floor, the black-clad man casually sauntered over, eyeing his foe's fallen form. Undoubtedly he was planning a counterattack of some kind. Now what would it be? Another knife? A gun?

Joker suddenly flung himself up, standing on his knees as it let out a roar of anger, his left hand extending out to the Detective. In an instant, the Detective shot his right up, grabbing the pale man's wrist and stopping his lunge. In the palm of Joker's gloved hand was a joy buzzer, tiny lightning bolts etched into its face. The black-clad man merely raised an eyebrow at that, not that his foe could see it.

Clenching his hand tightly, he squeezed hard on Joker's wrist until the man began screaming, his other hand grabbing his own wrist as if that would soothe the pain. "Stop, stop, STOP!" he shouted. "You're breaking my arm!"

Gazing at the buzzer, he noticed a thin ring towards it top, looping around the green-haired man's middle finger. Reaching up, he lightly took hold of the buzzer and pulled it up, the toy coming off Joker's finger. With one last glance, he then tossed it over his shoulder, hearing it clatter on the ground a couple seconds later.

That just left him with the Joker. Looking down at the clown's writhing body, he then grabbed a handful of the lapel of his trench coat and lifted him off the floor, slamming the man's back against the damage wall with a loud _bang!_ A spider's web of cracks sprang out around the man as the Detective released Joker's wrist and brought the edge of his tri-blade up against his white throat.

"Oh, ha, ha," the man grunted, looking on through a half-lidded eye, the other closed. "Still going on about killing me? I gotta say, this is getting pretty old—" The Detective pressed the blade harder into the green-haired man's throat, digging the sharp end into the skin. This caused both of Joker's eyes to shoot open as realization dawned on him. "Hey, you really are trying to kill me!" he exclaimed, panic starting to appear in his voice. "Hey, wait! You're going too far! Stop! Help! Someone! Police! Murder!"

A sense of satisfaction welled up inside the black-clad man. Seeing this man crying out, defenseless, helpless to his impending doom, it felt _good._ All it would take is one stroke of his arm, and the Joker would have a new smile, one from ear to ear.

In a low, soft voice, he then told Joker, "May you find peace in the next life."

"No, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Stop!"

The Detective's head jerked up slightly before he turned it to look over his shoulder, his arm relaxing a fraction as a look of relief appeared on Joker's face as he too looked to the source of the new voice. Behind the black-clad man was an open doorway that led to a set of stairs. In front of that entrance stood the witch, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she took deep breaths. "Don't do this. It isn't you," she said through her breathing.

"Oh, I know you!" Joker exclaimed excitedly. "You're the magic gal, ain't ya? You tell him, Legs! He's sure to belie—"

The Detective pressed his tri-blade back against Joker's throat, shutting him up in an instant. He hadn't bothered to look at his captive to do it either. He kept his eyes on this new, potential threat, albeit an unexpected one. "What are you doing here?" he growled at her.

"What's it look like? I'm stopping you from doing something you'll regret."

What was it with these people claiming to know him? This was getting old really fast. "Who said anything about regretting anything?"

The witch had managed to regain her composure, standing a little straighter, head held high. "Whether you believe it or not, you will. I know you pretty good, ya know, and I know this," she waved hand towards him, indicating his armor, "isn't you. I don't know why you put it on and I don't care. What matters is that you put that man down and come home with me."

"Home? With you?" he questioned as if that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of. "Since when?"

A hurt look appeared on the dark-haired woman's face. "It's me, Zana," she replied softly.

As if on an endless loop, the name echoed inside the Detective's head, his arms weakening a bit as his tri-blade edged off Joker's neck. A wave of dizziness hit him, the room seeming to tilt from one side to another. Before his eyes, the witch changed before his eyes, her magician costume changing to a t-shirt and shorts, a hopefully teenage girl standing in her place, the wall behind her being replaced with crates and props.

"_Hey, guess what?"_

"_What?"_

"_Dad's getting us all our own hotel rooms."_

"_That's nice of him."_

"_Uh huh. And you know, I might get lonely having a room all to myself. There's not a lot of people I can hang with, so maybe we can, I don't know, hang out?"_

"_Maybe. I might be too tired after setting up the stage when we get there."_

"_Please? Pretty pleeeease?"_

"_We'll see, Zana."_

And then it faded away, the construction site reappearing as the teenage girl became the witch once more. The Detective shook his head to clear it of the images. Once he was sure he was alright, he shot a glare at the woman. "Whatever spell you're using, it won't work," he growled lowly.

The witch looked crestfallen at that statement, her body flinching back. There, that should keep her mind manipulations at bay for the time being.

"Hey, Batsy, that wasn't really nice," Joker spoke up. "How can you treat Legs that way?"

The Detective merely twisted his head around, giving the clown a stare that rendered him silent again. For added measure, his arm blade was back up in its original position. Sure that the Joker wasn't going to make another remark, the black-clad man returned his attention to the witch. "I don't know why you're making this all up, but you seem very insistent on keeping me from fulfilling my duty. If you're going to stop this, sweet words won't help you; you're going to have to get your hands dirty and force me to stop. Can you do that?"

The dark-haired woman set her shoulders at his challenge. "If I have to," she declared. In response, the Detective just stared at her, waiting for her next move.

She then took a step towards him, then another. It seemed this witch had some resolve in her after all. This could complicate things.

With another step, something caught the black-clad man ear. That step, it didn't sound as confident as the previous two. The next one had the same sound and the witch suddenly faltered before him, her shoulders dropping as a helpless look soon appeared on her face. "I can't," she said, nearly crying.

"What?! What do ya mean, you can't?!" Joker screamed. "You can't give up like that! You can't—"

The Detective turned his head to ignore the witch now. He wasn't sure what made her waver like that, but he was sure she wouldn't interfere any longer. A smirk appeared on his face as he looked at the Joker's own, fear radiating from his eyes as he lost his voice. Blade ready, he made to finish this.

"But I will."

Eyes shooting wide open with surprise, the Detective whipped to a side, pulling his arm away from the clown's neck as he faced the city's skyline. Like a missile, Wonder Woman came flying in, crossing her arms in front of her and ramming them into his chest. In an instant, the Detective was picked off his feet, losing his grip on the Joker as he was forced through the air, Wonder Woman's face mere inches away, baring her clenched teeth much like he was. Wind battered at his body, wailing by his ears as they careened through the construction site, everything a blur around them.

The next thing he knew, his back slammed into sheetrock. The force they had hit it caused it to shatter, the Detective bursting through it and sending debris flying everywhere. Wonder Woman suddenly pulled up, leaving him to fly the rest of the way into the new room until he came crashing to floor, skidding and rolling on it until he slowed to a stop, ending on his back as he looked straight up at the ceiling.

"Argh!" he choked out as pain seared into his chest, one of his arms pressed up against it. Already he could tell there was a fracture, if not a broken bone in there, be it his sternum or his ribs. Probably both at this point considering he'd just been hit with the force of a semi-truck courtesy of a super-powered Amazon.

Damn it, how the hell was she still alive?! The witch he could understand since he had simply knocked her out. He had made a grave error somewhere and it was causing him to spit up blood. This...this was _not_ good.

Clenching his teeth, the Detective rolled onto his front, pushing himself up until he was on his knees and one hand, his other arm still firmly against his torso. Jolts of pain and discomfort shot up and down his body. This just wouldn't do, not when he had to fight a full-strength Amazon. No way could he take her head on, not like this.

Mentally, he began running through the equipment he had in his belt. He had a few shuriken left, a couple of which were tipped in poison. Problem was that Wonder Woman had incredible reflexes. She could block them away with her bracers without breaking a sweat. There were a couple smoke pellets, which might help if used correctly. He had abandoned his grapple when he arrived here, so that was not an option anymore. What else...what else…

The sedative. He had one in an airgun in the back of his belt. That would be his best option to subdue the Amazon assuming he could get in close enough to use it without getting pummeled. This was rather disappointing to say the least. It seemed he'd have to make do with his surroundings as well.

Pushing himself onto his feet, the Detective did a quick survey of the room. There were a couple of power tools off to his left, but too far away for use. A couple of paint cans were over by the wall he'd just busted through, so those were a no-go either. A stack of lumber was off to his right, but that would require some strength he didn't quite have on him to use effectively. Above his head were pipes, condensation giving them a wet appearance. Some electrical wiring was also up there and they seemed to lead somewhere behind him.

Then of course, there was Wonder Woman slowly floating down to stand on the floor, fists at her sides, the image of battle-ready. He nearly snarled at the sight. "You survived," he spat out.

Wonder Woman tilted her head up haughtily. "It takes more than that to defeat an Amazon."

Keeping his arm against his chest, the Detective's cloak fell over the rest of his body, providing some cover for his other hand to slowly edge to his belt. "Funny, as I recall you were the one that ended up face-first in the dirt."

The woman ignored his jab. "This will not be a repeat, I can assure you of that."

"I wouldn't bet on that. You are only a woman who doesn't know her place."

A scowl appeared on her royal features. "No man has ever told an Amazon her place and lived to tell the tale. You will be no different."

A smirk appeared on the Detective's face in response. "Why don't you tell that to Hercules? I'm sure he wouldn't agree with you." Upon seeing the rage that flooded her face, he then extended the arm around his chest out, giving her a come-hither gesture with his fingers.

That was all the invitation Wonder Woman needed as she launched herself at him, both fists held out before her as she flew through the air like a rocket. Instantly, the Detective threw his cloak off his body and started running at her.

This, of course, put her focus right on him and not the smoke pellet flying through the air. As the distance between them shrunk considerably, a smoke cloud suddenly burst out between them, blocking off their sight of the other.

Taking advantage of this, the Detective leapt up into the air despite his ribs protesting every move he made, hands grabbing onto the water pipes. Legs back, he then swung them forward, extending them out and holding them as stiff as he could. At that moment, Wonder Woman came bursting through the smoke cloud, leaving a clear trail through the smokescreen in her wake, just in time for the bottom of his boots to collide with her face.

The Detective grunted as their colliding speeds sent jolts down up his legs. Wonder Woman had the indignity of having her head come to a complete stop, her legs still moving, which caused her to flip in midair. Her momentum carried her through the air until she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Swinging his legs back, the black-clad man turned himself around, still hanging onto the pipes so he could face the Amazon. He kept his legs swinging back and forth, adjusting his grip on the pipes as needed. His blow had stunned her, but not for long as she got back to her feet, anger still on her face but not as prevalent as earlier.

If there was one thing he learned from his observations of her, it was that the dark-haired woman was easy to goad into anger with the right words. She especially seemed sensitive to criticisms to her heritage and he would have to make use of that. Anger dulled her considerable fighting ability, making her easier to predict, and thus easier to counter.

Hopefully kicking her in the face hadn't restored enough of her sense. It didn't seem so as she once more charged at him, though she kept an arm up in front of her for defense, the other held back and ready to attack. Hanging there, the Detective waited until he saw the Amazon throw her fist at him, just in time for his legs to swing back and away from her.

Letting go, the Detective dropped to the floor and back, just in time to dodge Wonder Woman's fist as it crushed the water pipes and the ceiling above it. A burst of water exploded all over her, which subsequently rained down on him.

Leaping backwards to put distance between them, the Detective pulled out a throwing star and sent it flying through the air at his opponent. Despite the water hitting her, the Amazon easily brushed it off, knocking it aside with her bracer and send it straight into the ground.

While the black-clad man expected that to happen, what he didn't count on was Wonder Woman pulling out her golden lasso and with the flick of a wrist sent one end swinging through the air. Instinctively, he raised an arm to protect himself, only to watch in horror as the rope wrapped around his forearm and elbow. Feeling it tightened, he was suddenly jerked off his feet to his right and sent sailing through the air until he plowed into the stack of lumber, pieces of wood cracking and breaking upon impact.

Grunting, the Detective only had enough time to see that Wonder Woman had drifted down to the floor, hair dripping with water as some strands were plastered against her forehead and cheeks. He was then yanked out of the pile of shattered wood, dragged along the cement floor until he lifted off of it. That didn't last for long as he crashed into the frame of an unfinished wall.

Then, he was pulled towards her, flying off the ground until he reached her still body. With one hand she caught him, her palm pressing against his chest and causing it to send a burning, searing pain throughout his beaten body. A moment later, the Amazon lurched forward, arcing him down until his back slammed against the floor, knocking the air out of his lungs.

Looking down at him dispassionately, recalling back her lasso as she wound it back into its loops, the Amazon declared, "This is over." She then leaned down, extending out her free hand to apprehend him.

The Detective sucked in as much air as he could, despite how each breath felt excruciating. This couldn't end this way, not yet. Obviously the Amazon had calmed down much faster than he thought and that had cost him. So, he did the only thing he could manage to do in his current predicament:

He gathered as much spit in his mouth and spat it at her.

As it turned out, it wasn't just saliva that flew out of his mouth, but blood as well. His red spit hit her on the cheek, causing her to momentarily pause. Taking advantage of that, he rolled to a side until he was able to get back on his knees. For all his trouble to accomplish this, he received a backhand to the face, one that sent him careening through the air until he hit another wall

Collapsing into a heap, the Detective groaned in pain. He was going to be feeling that in the morning. Looking up, he found himself roughly where he had started the fight, staring at a wall he had landed in front of. Biting back the moan he wanted to make, he began using the wall to help himself back onto his feet, a hand propping up on a fuse box that hung from the sheetrock. His legs were wobbly and his vision was beginning to darken at the edges. He must've been in worse shape than he thought.

"Surely you can see this fight is over," he heard Wonder Woman call out to him from somewhere behind him. "There is no use resisting any further."

The black-clad man ignored her, slowly turning around. He let go of the fuse box, adamant about standing on his two own feet. Once up, the Detective stared down the immaculate Amazon, who regarded him stoically. "Stay down," she demanded sternly.

"This isn't over," the Detective gasped out, attempting to take a step towards her, but ended up stumbling back, using a hand to brace himself against the wall.

"To the contrary," Wonder Woman replied, "you're dead on your feet. If you don't lay down, you'll surely keel over." She then shook her head. "I'm not sure what Zatanna saw in you, but it seems she was mistaken."

"What? Afraid I'll still beat you?" he goaded her. He spat out a wad of blood to the floor. "Or perhaps you're just as weak-willed as the witch. She couldn't stop me; are you the same?"

Calmly, Wonder Woman tied her lasso back to its place on her hip. Then, she strode to him, a walking goddess on the verge of ending his existence. Oddly enough, an eerie calm fell upon the Detective. This woman could snap him two, rip out his arms, or simply snap his neck with the flick of her wrist; yet, he felt completely at ease. It was strange, yet comforting at the same time.

And then she was in front of him, looking at his hunched form. "Be grateful that Zatanna respects you so, otherwise you'd be getting more from me."

He knew the punch was coming. Caught sight of it blurring in his peripheral vision. On normal circumstances he would've dodged it gracefully. This time, he gave into his body and dropped like a rock to the floor. That left Wonder Woman's fist sailing by his head harmlessly.

And right into the fuse box behind him.

It was instantaneously. Electricity surged through the Amazon's body, the water on her body assisting in conducting it throughout her body. A loud scream ripped out of her mouth before she was blasted off her feet, flying through the air until she landed roughly on the floor, smoke pouring off her body.

The Detective winced. That had to hurt. Of course he was grateful that his little maneuver paid off. He had been tipped off to the presence of electricity due to the presence of the power tools, not to mention they were still plugged into sockets. The condensation on the pipes, not to mention a couple wet spots on the floor from drips, had indicated there was running water in them. It was pure luck that Wonder Woman had tossed him to where the fuse box was, but he wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Still, he had to finish things. Hauling himself onto his feet, he ignored his protesting body as he forced it to walk to the fallen Amazon, finding her lying on her side. Hand going to the back of his belt, he pulled out the airgun and sedative, finger on the trigger and ready for use. Standing over the woman, he knelt down and grabbed a fistfull of her dark hair, pulling it aside to reveal her unguarded neck. Pressing the airgun against her throat, he injected the sedative into her, a moan escaping her lips before her body slumped more so than it already was.

A sigh left the Detective's lips. This fight was over alright; now he had a prisoner to take home.

* * *

A flash of red, blue, and gold flew by and the next thing Zatanna knew, Bruce was flying towards the other side of the room, exploding through a wall with Diana right behind him.

She wasn't going to lie, she was pretty shaken up at the moment. Seeing that twisted thing Bruce had become had caused her to buckle and give in. The magician wasn't very proud of that, but a part of her was hoping to see something in that man wake up and stop this madness.

As sounds of fighting began raging in the next room, the dark-haired woman made to head to it, only to stop when she heard scraping noises. Turning around, she saw the Joker pushing himself back onto his feet, dropped to the ground when Bruce had been rocketed away. He was leaning up against the wall, a hand pulling out a handgun from his coat.

The moment he aimed it at her, she shot a hand up and chanted, "Srewolf." The Joker pulled the trigger a second later, but instead of hot lead being fired, a bouquet of flowers burst out of the barrel, much to his surprise.

Baffled, the Joker held the gun straight up, staring at the flowers as if he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Huh, wrong gun," he said more to himself and toss the weapon aside. Of course, he had to reach inside his jacket again and pull out another gun.

Not bothering to say her chant, Zatanna just relaunched her previous spell with a gesture of her hand, another bouquet of flowers popping out when the clown pulled the trigger. "Okay, what the hell is going on?" the green-haired man growled as he tossed that gun away.

When he reached in for another weapon, whatever that was, Zatanna didn't wait before she said her next spell. "Hsif."

Jerking his hand out, the Joker held a trout in his hand, its tail grasped in his fingers, head flopping forward. The clown looked bewildered for a moment before his face twisted in rage. "Quit that, you poor excuse for a whore!" he shouted, throwing the fish at the magician.

A smirk appearing on her face, she just waved her hand and the fish turned into a dove, flapping off to parts unknown. Not waiting for whatever Joker decided to pull out next, the magician held both of her arms out, channeling her magical energies. "Dnib mih!"

In response, pieces of concrete burst up into the air all over the place. Rebar snaked its way from the ground and flew at the Joker, much to his surprise. Before he could react, the rebar wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides and his legs together. At first he tried to struggle and worm his way out of it, but all it served was to throw him off balance, causing him to fall to the floor.

Sure he was restrained, Zatanna sauntered over to the madman, kneeling next to him to make sure the restraints were tight enough to keep him there. "Are these tight enough?" she couldn't help but ask him. "Or should they be tighter?"

Joker rolled his eyes, much to her amusement. "You're a riot, you know that? This isn't over, not by a long shot."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong." Zatanna's features harden at this. "For everything you've done, you're gonna be locked in a jail cell so dark and deep, you'll be a fossil before someone finds you."

Instead of sulking like she thought he would, a smile spread on his face. "Now who's wrong?" he taunted her. "Sorry, Legs, but this is just an intermission. Just you wait."

Then, his eyes began to sparkle as he seemed to gaze into some unseen world. "You saw him, how he was inches from ripping out my throat." Zatanna didn't have to guess what he was imagining and it only served to sicken her. "He was actually going to kill me. What a rush! I can't wait until our next dance! Batsy's going to be _so_ much fun."

The magician found her hand tighten into a fist and before she knew it, she slammed her fist into the side of the Joker's face, causing his head to bash against the floor and effectively knock him out. _God, that felt good!_ Standing up, Zatanna had to resist causing more harm to the psycho that could be misconstrued as brutality. She wasn't sure if it would apply as vigilante or police brutality, but this man wasn't worth finding that out.

As she sighed, something wrong welled up inside of her. Frowning, she looked about the room, trying to figure out what it was until she realized it wasn't what she could see, but what she heard—or lack thereof. The fighting sounds were gone.

Looking to the hole in the wall, the magician hurried over to it, climbing through it once she reached it. Entering the room she found it pretty damaged, from a pile of broken wood, pieces of sheetrock, a hole in the ceiling with water pouring out all over the floor, and a sparking fuse box.

More pressing, there was a distinct lack of anyone around. No Bruce, no Diana, no one. Frantically, Zatanna searched with increasingly panicked eyes. Soon, it became obvious that neither one of them was still here and it was just her and that miserable excuse of a human being in the next room.

That left only one conclusion that she could come up with: Bruce had won and took Diana with him. For the second time in the last ten minutes, Zatanna felt her shoulders sag. This night just couldn't get any worse, could it?

* * *

I had a reviewer once mention how Wonder Woman always beat Batman in a fight in the comics. This was in one of the early installments of this series and that got me to thinking about this scene in particular. I originally wanted Batman here to outwit Diana, but considering I do have her ram into him, which is gonna leave some significant damage, I had to change up the scene. Batman was able to set up what eventually ended the fight, but having Diana take the upper hand is where everything changed. It's pure luck that she ends up swatting him to where he needs to be, which is most likely how a fight with Batman winning is going to go down: a massive amount of luck. And I rather like how the fight comes out too, so it definitely benefited.


	17. Missing Wonder Woman

It became readily apparent that Zatanna had a problem on her hands. She was a beautiful, independent woman with a flair for the magical. This did not include the physical strength to move a man in a higher weight class and tied with rebar. Her mental state wasn't in the right place for her to use her magic, mainly because she felt emotionally drained and her motivation was in the crapper. At least that's what she told herself.

Enter Superman.

Zatanna had taken to sitting against the wall, legs bent up so she could prop her elbows up on her knees and cradle her head with her hands. It also allowed her to not look at the Joker as he laid unconscious nearby. Upon hearing the fluttering of a cape and the Kryptonian touching down on the floor, she gave him a fatigued look and said, "Care to make a special deliver?"

Superman walked to her, glance towards the Joker as he drew near. Once he stopped, he asked, "So that's the Joker?"

"The one and only."

"Where do you want me to take him?"

"Us," Zatanna corrected him, pushing herself up onto her feet. "And I want you to take us to the GCPD. They can help us radio Commissioner Gordon and he'll know what to do."

With a nod, the magician found herself held at the waist and flying through the air, the Joker dangling below her as Superman held onto one of the rebar. A part of her wondered what would happen if the Man of Steel were to "accidentally" drop the madman and it was a bit overwhelming.

Of course, the trip couldn't have gone by in total silence. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" the Kryptonian asked.

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "Not here, not now, and certainly not with him," at this she jerked her head, pointing her chin towards the unconscious man below them, "right there. Once we get him in good hands, I'll be glad to tell you everything, but not before."

Superman nodded his head in acceptance, not that he really had much of a choice. He wasn't the telepath to force it out of her mind nor did he have a spell to compel her to speak. Fortunately, he had the patience to wait and was a nice enough guy to agree to her wishes; that made things so much easier, not to mention the rest of the flight quieter.

As it turned out, Gordon was at the station, just returning with a brigade of cops. Pointing him out to Superman, they soon descended down to the older man, who stopped to look at them once he took notice.

The moment they touched sidewalk, Zatanna pulled out of Superman's embrace, stepping towards Gordon. He looked roughly the same since she last saw him albeit with more wrinkles on his face. She chalked that up to the stress of his job. "Commissioner," she greeted him warmly.

Gordon nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Ms. Zatara, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hey, he remembered her. That was nice. "A drop off. I went fishing and caught me a trophy. Thought you'd like to have a look."

Nodding her head towards the Kryptonian, Gordon didn't seem the least bit surprised at the sight of the Man of Steel. However, his eyes did zoom in on the Joker and one end of his moustache twitched up. "I hope you don't mind if I take that catch off your hands then," he said more than asked.

"Thought you'd say something like that."

The commissioner looked her in the eye once he was able to tear his sights away from the unconscious clown. "You can be certain I'll put him in the deepest, darkest, dankest hole I can find in Blackgate. We still have evidence on him from his last spree and murder doesn't have a statute of limitations."

Zatanna gave him a wry grin. "I'll be counting on you then. Unfortunately, I can't stay for that."

Gordon snorted. "There are a lot of better things you could be doing with your time then watching out for this scumbag." He then tilted his head towards his men, all of whom had stopped to watch this little meeting. "Montoya! Patel! Make room for our special guest here. Cort, Ramirez, Lewis, drag his sorry ass inside. Either I or Bullock will Mirandize him. I want four men watching him at all times per shift, shotguns or assault rifles, I don't care which."

Stepping back, Zatanna made a gesture for Superman to get them out of here. Gordon had everything under control and they were needed elsewhere. In fact, the commissioner ignored their exit as they took off into the air. Faintly, she wondered if this was how Bruce did his disappearing acts.

"What happened," the Man of Steel stated more than asked once they were up in the air and out of earshot of any prying ears. His voice was sterner than last time, informing her that she had had her grace period.

The dark-haired woman sighed with resignation. "A lot," was all she answered.

"Where's Diana? Is she still somewhere in Gotham?"

With a shake of her head, she replied, "I really don't know. We...ran into Batman. He was confronting Joker and Diana charged at him. While I restrained Joker, they fought and I guess Diana lost. Figured she'd still be around if she had won."

A hard look appeared on Superman's face. "So he has her."

"That's what I'm assuming until proven otherwise."

There was a quiet moment before the Kryptonian said, "We're regrouping at the cave. We're gonna have to tell everyone about this."

Zatanna grimaced as a sick feeling welled up inside her stomach. She wasn't really looking forward to that.

* * *

"Ya know, J'onn, you really missed out on the fireworks."

From her spot next to the med-cart, Zatanna watched as Flash did a last assessment on the Martian Manhunter, the man sitting on the edge of the metal bad as he rubbed his weary face with a hand.

Unlike the last time the Joker had bombed Gotham, the damage to the city had been much less. That probably had to do with all the super-powered heroes who happened to be in the neighborhood and were able to not only put out the ensuing fires, but also remove any and all bombs to prevent further destruction. There was still some death, unfortunately, but all in all things could have definitely been a lot worse.

Stewart had already guessed something was wrong the moment Superman and her had returned to the Batcave, but they hadn't gone into it since J'onn and Hawkgirl seemed to be coming around then. Leaving the two men at the Batcomputer, the magician had joined Flash in the medbay to make sure the patients were alright. J'onn had woken up just a few minutes ago and he looked as if he had a headache going on.

"Indeed," the Martian replied, though it lacked his usual gusto. "What happened while I was incapacitated?"

"Oh, not much," the red-clad man said, feigning disinterest. "Just a lunatic deciding to relive his glory days, blowing up Gotham, that kind of stuff;probably a good idea you did miss it what with your pyrophobia and all. You'll be glad to know all of the fires are out and all bombs have been disposed of, the Joker is a resident of the Gotham City Police Department, and you are just getting over a bad case of the giggles."

"Giggles," J'onn repeated blandly. "The last I recall, I was laughing against my will and no matter what I did, I could not stop myself."

"That would be the Joker Venom," Zatanna supplied from her post, arms crossed over her chest. "We were lucky enough to get you the antidote before all that craziness happened, though I'm guessing you're discombobulated from the sedative."

The Martian appeared not to have heard her, but eventually gave a brief nod. "Yes, I am detecting some of those aftereffects. It should pass momentarily."

"Good to hear," Flash said before he zipped over to the other patient. Hawkgirl had awoken as well, but she was staring straight up at the ceiling unmoving. The only indication that she was really awake was that she'd blink her eyes every once in awhile. Zatanna found that a little concerning, but hadn't done much to check her out. "How about you, HG?" Flash asked as he began taking her pulse. "Feeling woozy, or are you expecting a big bat dropping to fall on you?"

"Ew," Zatanna responded, wrinkling her face.

A moment later, the winged woman finally said something. "Never laughing again."

"Oh, don't be like that," Flash cooed at her, flashing a light in her eyes to check her pupil dilation. "Laughter is the spice of life. It makes the world go 'round and lights up your day with sunshine and butterflies."

"Flash."

"Yes?"

"Shut. Up."

The red-clad man, amazingly enough, didn't utter a peep, instead putting his penlight down on a nearby trey and picking up a stethoscope and putting them on, placing the diaphragm on Hawkgirl's chest as he began listening to her heart and lungs. However, as he finished with his listening, he muttered, "Grumpy Guts."

"What was that?"

"Umm, I wants some nuts?"

The Thanagarian turned her head, the first movement she'd done since waking, to look at Flash. "I'm starting to question your priorities here."

"And I'm declaring you with a partial bill of health," Flash retorted in kind. "If you want the rest of it, take a couple Tylenol and call me in the morning. Dr Flash is out."

In a blur of red, the man shot off, appearing next to Superman and Stewart by the computer. Zatanna stared at the small ground, her hair falling back down over her shoulders once the breeze from the hero's dash subsided. "Are you two ready to go?" she then asked, looking back towards them.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hawkgirl answered, pushing herself up and sliding off the table. J'onn just leaned forward and stood up on his feet. Quietly the three of them left the medbay, trampling down the metal staircase and walked towards the computer, where the other three heroes fell silent, waiting for them to join.

Of course, it would be Hawkgirl to notice that someone was missing. "Where's the Princess?" she asked, glancing around for the Amazon.

Superman and Zatanna shared a brief glance before the Kryptonian answered, "We believe she's been taken captive by Batman."

Several exclaims of "What?!", which were followed quickly by "How?", rang out, but it was Flash who ended up taking over the conversation. "You're telling me the Bat was here too? Who wasn't invited to this party?"

"More importantly," Stewart interjected, "is what he was doing here and how did he get his hands on Wonder Woman."

Naturally, all eyes fell on Zatanna. This was becoming a running theme, she was quick to note. Well, here went nothing. "Like I told Superman, Diana and I ran into Batman when he was confronting the Joker."

"Because of that arrow he blew out of those buildings?" the Lantern questioned.

She nodded. "It took place at the old ACE Chemicals plant, why I'm not sure." Well, that wasn't completely true. The moment she had arrived at the construction site, she immediately recognized it as where Bruce and Joker had their last stand. She figured they had something to do with the green-haired man choosing the place, but he was the only one that could say for sure, not that she was all the eager to ask him. "All I know is Batman was about to...to kill him when Wonder Woman knocked him to the other side of the building."

Stewart scowled. "And you let her take him on by herself?"

"Hey, the Joker was still there!" Zatanna snapped, glaring at the man. This guy was so lucky Diana wasn't here to hear him say that too, otherwise she would've knocked him into next week for questioning her abilities. "I had to tie him up before I could go help and by the time I got there, the fight was over and the two of them were gone."

Lantern looked as if he wanted to reprimand her further, but then to her surprise gave her a curt nod in acceptance. "Tough call," he said, "but it was the right one. So now not only do we have to find Batman, but Wonder Woman too."

"It would seem that Batman's presence here can be explained by the presence of the League of Assassins," J'onn spoke up, strength returning to his voice. "We mustn't forget that they were here too and it was most likely with his involvement."

"So we need to investigate the construction site," Superman surmised. "I think John and I would be best suited for this. We'd also be able to find any surprises the Joker left there too, if he did."

"And what about us?" Hawkgirl inquired, a hint of protest in her voice and a scowl on her face. "You expect us just to sit around on our hands while you two work?"

"Flash is finishing off those lab tests," the Man of Steel responded, to which the red-clad man suddenly shot off towards the lab tables. Apparently he had some more work to do there. "And maybe there's a link between Batman and the League somewhere in his computer banks. You and J'onn can help Zatanna with that while you recover more from your poisonings."

The Thanagarian didn't look to pleased by that. "In case you've forgotten, we've already checked the computer," she said snarkily. "What more can we possibly do that hasn't already done?"

That was a legitimate question, but Zatanna could see what the suggest really was: an attempt to give Hawkgirl and J'onn time to rest. "We've only gone through his records," she pointed out. "There's a lot more things in the memory than just those."

This time it was the magician's turn to be on the receiving end of Hawkgirl's scowl. Yet, she nodded her acceptance. This was obviously the best course of action and she knew it. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed before returning her gaze to Superman. "You two better find something out there."

"Don't worry, we will," Stewart promised, raising a hand up as his ring began to glow green. He then looked to Superman, who met his gaze, and the two lifted off the cave floor, a green aura covering the Green Lantern as the two flew towards the Batmobile tunnel and disappeared into it.

Watching them go, Zatanna then turned her attention to Hawkgirl and J'onn. "Can't you two give me a minute? I just need to use the little girl's room."

The two nodded at her and the magician left them, heading for a different part of the cave. She really didn't need to use the restroom, but just needed a quick moment to herself. After what happened tonight, she hadn't had time to deal with all the emotions bouncing around in her head, what with having to handle the Joker. Things were coming to a head and she needed to sort them out before she burst.

Absently, she made her way to the staircase that went up to Wayne Manor. Perhaps she could go think up there—after all, she had made everyone promise not to go upstairs and if you couldn't trust a hero to keep their promise, then who could you trust? Thinking that was a good plan, she began to make her way there when something caught her eye. Off to the side was a crevice in the cave wall, one she hadn't seen before. There wasn't anything special about it, what with it being filled with darkness, yet something seemed to call her to it. Thinking _why the hell not,_ she went to the crevice and entered it, finding a climbing path. Following it, she found herself arching upwards until she entered a small alcove. There was a rock formation in the middle of it, forming a crude-looking chair. There was an opening in front of it and Zatanna found herself gazing out into the lair Bruce had built. Faintly, she wondered if he had used this place at one point or even knew it existed.

"You seemed troubled."

Zatanna flinched before turning around, finding J'onn standing at the alcove's entrance. Offering him a weak smile, she responded, "Am I that obvious?"

"One does not need to be a telepath to see you are distressed," came his answer.

The dark-haired woman nodded as she turned away, absently running her fingers along the rock chair's arm. It was cold to the touch, much like the rest of the cave. Well, there was no point in hiding what was going on. Sure, she could've told J'onn to buzz off, but he had such a welcoming aura about him that she couldn't help but spill her guts to him. Besides, he may not have explicitly said it, but his presence up here was him offering an ear, maybe a shoulder to cry on too assuming a Martian man didn't get the same way a normal one did around weeping women. What the hell, maybe she should try it just to see.

With a sigh, she began with the thought that was starting to consume her mind. "I'm starting to think the Batman I knew is gone, J'onn."

She could feel the Martian's eyes on her and could only imagine how he took that information. "What makes you feel that way?"

_Where do I start?_ "The man I knew wouldn't have devised these elaborate traps for people, or even thought of using them intentionally. He didn't even recognize me at the tower. Then, tonight…" she hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should even mention this next part before throwing caution to the wind, "I...kinda...went off on my own. When Joker made his announcement before blowing up all those buildings, I knew he wanted Batman to find him. So I went there to try and talk sense into him and what did I find? Batman just seconds away from ripping that psycho's throat out. I mean, I understand the urge to do that; hell, it would've been a public service to do that."

She turned around to face the Martian, to make him understand what this meant to her. "But he hated killing—of any kind. He wasn't the guy who would willingly take another life, even someone as insane as the Joker. He couldn't stand the thought!" Zatanna swallowed as she fought to get control of herself. Just the image of what she saw was upsetting her. "I just don't know what to think anymore," she finally admitted with resignation.

J'onn was silent for several seconds before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. "It's possible you may not have known Batman as well as you thought."

Zatanna snorted with derision, coupling that with a shake of her head. "No, I can't accept that. I haven't said this to the others, but I knew him before he put on the mask. Hadn't seen him in years until I did a show here and when we met up, I saw that he hadn't changed all that much. He was still the same guy, if maybe quirkier and a touch more paranoid—make that a lot more paranoid. But now, it's almost as if he were a completely different person."

The Martian nodded. "I can only think of a few scenarios for such a change. The first would be his deceiving you; though that wouldn't change your experiences with each other. Unless he were truly sociopathic, then his interactions with you would be more personable."

The dark-haired woman wasn't really liking that option. The idea that Bruce could have been fooling her for years was too painful to fathom. "What's the second?" she asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Amnesia."

Zatanna almost snorted again, but held it back. Two unladylike moments in the span of a minute was uncalled for. "So he forgot about me?" she asked acidly. She wasn't sure which she liked less: being fooled from the start or being forgotten. "Is that it?"

She could hear J'onn's shrug as he replied, "It is possible, but without further evidence I can only speculate. I have not met this man as you and the others have, so my guesses are limited."

The magician nodded. Well, she couldn't say she liked either of those possibilities. Each one led to an evil Bruce and each encounter just cemented this new version of him in her mind and she hated that was how she was starting to see him.

"Considering you turned in the Joker, I'm assuming you managed to reach him," the Martian prodded her to continue.

"He was stopped with force," she immediately responded dismissively. "Diana had followed me and crashed the party. That was after I tried to appeal to his better senses. I used everything I could think of to reach him, even an old nickname he called me and…"

_"It's me, Zana."_

_Bruce stared at her, his arms sagging from where he'd been holding them, the Joker slowly being lowered to the floor. For a moment, Zatanna thought she reached him and she could feel herself hoping._

_That all came crashing down when Bruce shook his head, the bottom of his face hardening. _ "_Whatever spell you're using, it won't work," he growled at her._

Zatanna shot her head up. That did have an effect! Why else would Bruce say that if it didn't? Maybe there was something to that amnesia thing—it was certainly better than the alternative. The magician tightened her hands into fists, determination coming over her features. Bruce was somewhere in that walking shell and if it was the last thing she did, she would drag him out of it.

Turning around to fully face the Martian, Zatanna gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, J'onn. I needed this."

J'onn's stoic face returned her thanks with a thin-lipped smile. "You're welcome." Apparently he was feeling her new mood too, which only made the magician giddier.

"I'm going to need a few more minutes, okay?" she then spoke. "There's one last thing I need to do." Without waiting, she strode towards the entrance, moving around J'onn and beginning the descent down. Once she reached the bottom, she then made for the giant staircase, hurrying up it until she reached the top. "Kcolnu dna nepo," she chanted, the sound of locks sliding and a door swinging open. She wasn't in the mood to go looking for the release and this was just quicker. Besides, if no one knew she did this, then it never happened.

Passing through the threshold, Zatanna found herself in Bruce's study, white sheets draped over the furniture. Lucius must've sent some people up here to cover everything when she had left, as per "Bruce's" instructions. Good to see they were followed.

Pushing the grandfather clock back into place, the dark-haired woman then made her way out of the study, pushing her way through the door and leaving it open as she walked through the halls and eventually ended up at the the front door. She ignored the sheen of dust that had settled on everything, knowing there was going to be a lot of cleaning when all was said and done, though she would worry about that later. The manor could stand to look like an abandoned house for a little longer. Reaching the front door, she unlocked the door and pulled it open, wincing at the squealing of unoiled hinges. Okay, so that was going to have to be fixed a lot sooner than later.

A cold autumn breeze hit the woman, but she ignored it as she pulled the door closed behind her. Hurrying, she strode over the gravel driveway, heading to the still-maintained lawn. Crunching grass filled her ears as she left a trail of footsteps in her wake, due to the dew that had gathered on the vegetation. She headed around the house, eyes glancing around for a familiar sight until she found it, instantly making a beeline towards a lonely tree.

As she neared it, she saw at the tree's base sat a tombstone, the words ALFRED PENNYWORTH engraved in the stone. A wave sadness overcame the magician, but she held it at bay once she stood in front of the grave. Zatanna hadn't known what the butler's burial wishes were and thought it would be wrong to not have him somewhere on the grounds. After a quick jaunt on the grounds, she found this spot and thought at the very least he'd have shade on those hot summer days.

"It's been awhile," she greeted after a few moments of silence. Okay, so that opening left something to be desired, but hey, she didn't do these things all that much. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit until now—bad memories, I hope you understand. I just wanted you to know that Bruce is still alive and…"

Okay, she needed to get a grip, this was pitiful! Sure she hadn't been here for awhile and didn't make it a habit to visit cemeteries, but this was Alfred! He deserved a lot better than this weak report. If she was in his...uhh, grave, then what would she want to hear? Steeling her resolve, she held herself more confidently and finished, "And I'm going to do everything I can to bring him home. You can count on that."


	18. Return to the Construction Site

"Sorry for the wait folks, but when a girl's gotta go, a girl's gotta go," Zatanna announced as she returned to the Batcomputer. Hawkgirl had seated herself in the chair, propping an elbow on the console as she cradled the side of her face with a hand. J'onn stood nearby, not the least perturb by her absence. Sometimes it paid to have such caring friends.

"Took you long enough," Hawkgirl grunted. "We've got an issue with you."

Zatanna blinked owlishly. Well, that couldn't be good. "Did I forget to flush?"

"For your sake, I hope you did," the Thanagarian replied. "Log into this hunk of junk real quick and I'll show you what I mean."

O...kay. Where was this all going? Warily, Zatanna approached the computer, activating and keeping an eye on the screen to make sure it booted up. Once the user login appeared, she jumped through all the hoops until everything was up and running. That was when Hawkgirl took over, opening a file. An image of a newspaper appeared, which made the magician raise an eyebrow. "What's this about?"

The winged woman pointed at the screen. "This is a newspaper from Central City and if you'd be so kind to look at the headline, you'd see it's about Flash."

"Uh huh. And?"

Hawkgirl hit a button and another image appeared, this one from Metropolis. There was some reference to a blue angel, but it didn't make sense to the magician. "This is about Superman," Hawkgirl supplied her before jumping to the next image, then again. With each new newspaper it became readily apparent that at least one of their merry band was mentioned in each paper, be it a headline or a side column.

Yet, every so often there'd be one like, "What about this one from Denver?" Zatanna looked at the paper, searching for some reference to a hero, even a small, tiny good deed, and coming up with nothing.

Hawkgirl didn't seem perturbed by that, switching to the next one. "This one is from Middletown, where J'onn is from." She pointed to an article in the corner, where it spoke of a detective solving a cold case.

Frowning, the magician stood next to the computer console and beginning hitting the next button. "And this one's from Nashville, no hero," she rebutted, switching to the next one. "Greenwich, no heroes here either and I would know; I did a show there once."

The winged woman rotated in the chair, glaring at the dark-haired woman. "What are you trying to prove?" she demanded heatedly.

Zatanna returned the glare with a cool look. "What are you?"

"This is a file with the first appearances and following appearances documented of our little gang," Hawkgirl replied. "We've been over this before, that Batman had learned our weaknesses and used them against us. In fact, he's been keeping an eye on everyone since they appeared."

"Then how do you explain these other places with no mention of a hero?" Zatanna countered.

"That is a valid point," J'onn acknowledged. He then strode forward, purposefully putting himself between the two women as he too changed the image on the screen. This one became the Gotham Star, one Zatanna immediately recognized as the night Joker interrupted her show. "This one also does not fit the pattern," the Martian stated, standing up straight.

"Yet there is still a pattern," Hawkgirl argued. "Unless you can find another one, I'm more inclined to trust my gut."

"Well, I know of one way," Zatanna said. Then she addressed the supercomputer, "Computer, analyze this file and find common patterns." In an instant, the screen began flashing as it performed the command, analyzing each image and calculating similar results. It took a few seconds, but eventually a new window popped up listing off the results.

There were several entries in the list with varying percentages; however, the one that got all of their attention was the one at top listed at one hundred percent. "Magic show?" Zatanna read off softly. Immediately, she shoved the chair out of her way, causing Hawkgirl to yelp in surprise. Hovering over the keyboard, the magician backed up to the images and began looking through each one, always finding a mention of a magic show on the page somewhere.

Specifically, _her_ magic show.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard again, this time with a new command. She wanted to bring up Bruce's financial records, along with ones from Wayne Enterprises and search for ticket purchases, be it for her show or a plane ticket to any one of the cities in the file. So focused was she, she forgot about J'onn and Hawkgirl's presence so they could see everything she did. Entering the command, she waited for the results impatiently, finding herself inching closer towards the screen until a window popped up.

And just as she thought, there were quite a few tickets for her show purchased by Bruce, along with the occasional plane ticket purchase. What wasn't caught in those purchases were caught up by the use of the Wayne Enterprises Corporate Jet to the remaining cities.

"I don't think this is a file on us," Hawkgirl spoke up then, her voice sounding very distant. It didn't really register with Zatanna as she tried to put the pieces together. Bruce had come to her shows without her knowing and would most likely have kept that up until the Gotham show mess. But why? Why would he go out of his way for that?

"_Why does he do this to himself? Why did he put that mask on?"_

"_A promise."_

That conversation with Alfred echoed into her head, causing her eyes to widen. If she recalled right, the butler had let it slip that Bruce had made a promise with her father and that it had something to do with her. Was it...was it possible that Bruce was keeping an eye on her all this time? Was that what he promised her father? It sounded like something her father would do if he felt she was in trouble, but she hadn't been in that much trouble except when that one man used her as a hostage. Daddy had hovered over her shoulder for months after that, which incidentally fell in the time Bruce had been with the troupe.

A deep, painful sigh escaped her lips as she felt her legs go weak. Immediately, an arm wrapped around her from behind, helping steady her until she felt the edge of the chair against the back of her thighs. Collapsing into it, she let the weight of this new information sink in. Apparently the previous occupant had moved out of the way so she could have it; how thoughtful of her.

Thankfully, the other two heroes let her wallow around in her thoughts for awhile, at least until Hawkgirl said, "I take it you know what this is."

Swallowing, Zatanna turned in the chair to face the winged woman and J'onn. "Yeah," she answered with a raspy voice. Again, she swallowed to clear away the choking emotion that was building up in her. "This is about me. My dad asked Batman to keep an eye on me and this is what the file's about."

"You're father knew Batman?" Hawkgirl asked with surprise.

"Long time ago," Zatanna waved off before adding wistfully, "another lifetime ago." She then sighed. "Well, it looks like all of you were second bananas in this file."

"Indeed," J'onn agreed. "Which puts us back at square one."

A moment of silence fell upon the three until Zatanna spoke up, "Not necessarily. We're looking for some sort of connection between Batman and these ninjas, right?" Upon seeing nods, she rotated in the chair again to face the computer. "And we already searched for any other mentions of him meeting his watchers. So what if we're just asking the question wrong?" Then she addressed the Batcomputer, "Computer, search for any references of ninjas in the databanks."

Once the supercomputer began its search, the magician turned back around to face the two aliens. "I beginning to think that we've been phrasing ourselves wrong. We're limiting ourselves with Batman's vocab, so we should broaden it instead. All we have to do is hit the right phrase and we'll be in business."

"So we've noticed," Hawkgirl remarked, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. Her head turned to the computer when she noticed a window pop up and read out loud, "No matches found."

"Okay, Computer: search the database for watchers, shadows, eyes in the night, and mystery people."

Over and over, Zatanna threw in different search criteria. Aside from the written entries that they already knew about, along with the corresponding video files, nothing else was forth coming, something that made the dark-haired woman feel even better. So Bruce didn't have any contact with these people before hand. That was good.

"That just leaves the untitled files," J'onn cut in, ruining her thoughts. "Seeing as Batman labeled all the other video files, it stands to reason that there was a reason he didn't do the others."

Hawkgirl nodded her agreement. "Just like we figured before. We've already seen a good portion of the first one; we can pick up where we left off."

Just then, Flash blurred into sight. "Hey guys, don't mind me, just need to use the giant Batcomputer."

Hawkgirl appeared to raise an eyebrow—Zatanna imagined that's what she was doing given the look she gave Flash—and asked, "And why do you need to use it?"

"Well, I got my samples ready and this thing looks like it could analyze it in fifteen seconds," the red-clad man shrugged. "I just don't know how to do that with this computer."

"Where's the sample?" Zatanna questioned, in response seeing Flash raise up a few vials in his hand. Looking to the console, she flipped open a lid, revealing a small hole beneath it. "We'll have to do this one-by-one then," she spoke. When Flash placed one of the vials in it and closed the lid, the magician called out, "Computer, analyze sample and hold."

There were a few flashes from the screen as it completed its task. The word COMPLETE appeared when it finished, which prompted Flash to replace the first vial with a next one and Zatanna giving the same order. One after another, they did this until each sample had been analyzed and stored in the computer database.

"Computer, compare samples together," the magician ordered, again watching as the computer went to work. This took a little more time, but eventually the results came back. The most prevalent was of a blue flower with what looked like a model of a compound next to it. According to the report, a compound found in the flower was found in each and every sample.

"Well that's something," Flash stated as he read the results. "But I have no idea where that flower grows."

The dark-haired woman shot him a smirk before she called out, "Computer, find where this flower grows."

The moment the computer went to work, Flash just stared dumbly at it before saying, "Oh, I guess that works too. This thing really comes in handy for jobs like this."

"You should've been here for movie night. Best picture in the state."

"No kidding?"

Right about then, a map of the world appeared before it began zooming in towards Asia, then towards some place north of India. Finally it stopped and a few blue dots appeared on the map, indicating where the flower grew.

"Now that's convenient," Flash remarked. "It only grows in that one spot, huh? What is that? Tibet?"

"What were those samples, Flash?" J'onn asked as he started at the screen.

"Those were the blood workups we got from GL," the red-clad man answered. "According to this, whatever got into him came from these flowers. Heh, I think we know where our baddies are hiding."

"Not necessarily," Hawkgirl retorted. "All it means is that they have access to these flowers, not that this is their location. It's still a lead though."

"Hopefully, Superman and Green Lantern find something at the construction site that will narrow down our search," J'onn spoke.

* * *

Dawn was just beginning, rays of light caressing the earth. This gave a better view of the construction sight to the two heroes as they arrived.

Superman hadn't seen anything like it before. Below him was a plain covered in bodies, their faces twisted into exaggerated smiles, at least the ones visible. Thugs and ninjas alike were lying there, even ones that looked as if they had been sliced to pieces or beaten to death. He had heard there had been a battle here, but the Kryptonian hadn't expected it to be this brutal.

Of course, he and John weren't here for the sights. Using his x-ray vision, he searched the field for the so-called Joker Venom, even looking at the microscopic level. They weren't taking a chance that this stuff was still out here, just waiting to expose an unsuspecting person to its toxins.

"I'm not seeing anything," Superman said after awhile, letting his x-ray vision come to an end. "I think the gas is gone, at least from this area."

"That's a relief," John replied.

"Think you can scan for the devices that were used to release it? It'd make it a lot easier to find more if I know what I'm looking for."

"Consider it done." John aimed his ring at the field of bodies and a green light shown down on them, much like a spotlight. Slowly, he moved the light over the scene until he came to an abrupt stop. "I think I found something," he reported.

Simultaneously, the two descended to the ground, landing next to one of the Jokerz' bodies. Doing his best to ignore the grotesque smile on the poor man's face, Superman stared down at what looked to be a ruined piece of body armor, a portion at the chest blown open with slight scorch markings on the edges. On closer inspection, there appeared to be something on the inside of the armor, some sort of flap Superman thought.

Forming a pair of tweezers with the energies from his ring, John extended the tool to the flap and grabbed it, pulling it up. On the front size appeared to be a Joker card emblem, the cartoon face smiling back at him.

John scowled. "How much do you want to bet that the Joker gave out several of these vests to these people and marched them out as walking bombs?"

"After what we just went through," Superman replied, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"I'm not seeing a trigger mechanism anywhere," the Lantern said then. "It have have been destroyed when the Joker activated them."

That wasn't good. Still, that wasn't going to stop them in their investigation. Turning his head,Superman began scanning the actual construction site for any traps that may still be lying in wait. It was a few minutes before declaring, "I'm not seeing anything in the construction site either." Looking back down, he stared at one of the fallen ninjas. "Just what were these guys doing here?"

"Knowing them? Nothing good," John responded before lifting off in the air. "This way, I met the Joker over here."

Following the glowing Lantern, the two soon landed just outside of the site, looking down at the ground. "He was leaving the site when I saw him creeping about. Safe to say he was doing something back there."

"Think you can follow his steps?" Superman asked.

"Maybe—give me a second." Again, John shown a green light on the ground, looking for something to give him a trail. "Thermal trail is gone," he grumbled to himself. Then his head perked up. "My ring's telling me there's a different kind of mineral here."

Superman glanced to the construction site. The floor was covered in white dirt, not to mention the quarry wall he saw towards the back. "What kind of mineral?"

"One that isn't quarry," John replied, sweeping his green light along a path into the construction site. "Follow me."

The two of them walked through the site, John following his microscopic trail until it led them to the quarry rock wall. This caused the Lantern to stop in surprise, tearing his eyes off the floor and looking up at the wall. "The trail ends here," he said in astonishment. "It's like he came right out of the wall."

"Then I guess so do we," Superman replied before walking forward. Amazingly enough, he found himself not bumping into a wall and instead entering an invisible space. Stopping, he turned his head to look at John when he finally saw it. Behind him was the entrance of a path, one cut to look just like the wall face. In fact, the Kryptonian was standing a couple paces inside of it. "I think we know why he was able to come out," he commented before forging on further onto the bath.

Soon, the two entered a chamber, one with scaffolding and various construction equipment, including a bulldozer. Alarmingly, sections of the scaffolding were damaged, including what looked as if bullet holes and blast zones.

"Looks as if there was a fight here," John remarked as he came to stand at Superman's side. "And I get the feeling this isn't a place for tourists."

Not bothering to answer, the Kryptonian began scanning the room, including the walls for anything suspicious. Almost immediately he spotted what looked like metal behind one of the walls, a pathway leading towards their chamber. Stopping his x-ray vision, the Man of Steel noticed a pile of debris right in front of where the path began.

"There's something behind those rocks," he said as he pointed at the rubble. In response, John fired another green light, though this time the rocks began to glow with a green aura. Moving his arm, the debris lifted off the ground, floated a short distance away, and then was lowered to the ground.

Seeing the new entrance, the two then made their way to it, walking down it until they came into a smaller chamber, this one with a pit inside of it with a bubbling green substance. "What is that?" John demanded as he raise a hand to his mouth and nose, covering them.

Superman, on the other hand, was looking up, seeing what looked like two metal arms holding up a rather large bomb between them. A quick scan told him that this was a very powerful bomb too, one that could easily destroy the entire area were it to detonate.

"I think we have a big problem," the Kryptonian spoke.

John apparently was able to tear his eyes away from the pit and was seeing what Superman saw. "I'm getting a bad feeling about all this."

"Me too." Superman paused long enough to turn his attention to the Lantern. "See if you can't get a sample of whatever that stuff is. I'm going to try and remove this bomb. The sooner we get rid of it, the sooner we can find out just what is going on here."

* * *

"You know, I never knew there were so many ways you could beat a gangbanger into submission and still be original with each and every one."

Three sets of eyes turned to regard Flash either out of annoyance, stoic acknowledgement, or just...well, mostly annoyance. The red-clad man's words had slipped out after the four of them watched the second of Bruce's gang-busting night following the Joker's fake bomb threat.

It had quickly became apparent to Zatanna why the last three videos had gone untitled and without Bruce's usual entry. He had been gone the entire first night and wasn't able to actually do his logs on the second due to her confronting him upon his return home. The third...well...that was was pretty obvious since that was his last night as the Gotham-labeled Dark Knight.

Frankly, she wasn't looking forward to seeing that one.

Flash looked back at the looks he was receiving and seemed startled at the response. "What I'd say?"

Hawkgirl chose to ignore him. "How many gangs did he bust during this night?" she asked.

"Three," Zatanna answered. "Then another two the next night. He...didn't come back until the following night. He wasn't happy about the fake bomb."

"This is unhappy?" Flash exclaimed. "Man, I'd hate to see him when he's really mad."

"I think we can fast-forward through this then," Hawkgirl said. "Like Flash said, there's only so long we can watch the same thing over and over."

"I didn't say that," the red-clad man shot back before he paused. "Did I say that?"

Ignoring him, Zatanna just hit the fast-forward button. After hitting up another gang, Bruce had then gone to some bunker he had in the city, one she hadn't known he had. Maybe Alfred would've, but at the time even he seemed unsure. Zatanna was quick to note the location, a Wayne building in the west end of the city. He had to go underground near that location, but the magician was familiar enough with the area to figure out its general location. The moment the feed ended, the screen went black.

"And changing files," the dark-haired woman stated as she exited the video and opened Untitled2. Immediately, the screen started right where they had left off, Bruce leaving his bunker and going back out onto the streets. Hitting fast-forward again, they breezed through the beatdown of two more gangs until things changed to a destroyed building, covered in black soot from an explosion.

Seeing how Bruce seemed to be rooting around the place, Zatanna wasn't sure what to make of it so she just kept speeding through. Things changed after he left the scene, coming to a stop on top a building with a giant neon sign on it. Cale Anderson it read.

"Stop!" Hawkgirl shouted, causing Zatanna to pull off the button. "Go back a few frames." With a frown, the magician did as ordered, stopping when Bruce took cover behind a leg from the neon-lit sign. As the recording proceeded at a normal pace, the group watched with keen interest. For awhile, it seemed the only thing they heard was Bruce's breathing as he waited, staring out onto the roof top. Actually, it was taking a really long time for whatever it was the man was waiting for. Zatanna half wanted to start fast-forwarding again.

And then someone appeared on the rooftop. "Look what we have here," Hawkgirl gloated, a smirk appearing on her face. One of those ninja guys everyone had been talking about was creeping around, head swaying back and forth as he seemed to be looking for something. _Or someone!_ Zatanna realized, eyes widening. Were these the "Eyes in the Night" Bruce's logs referenced? What the heck were these guys doing in Gotham? And why were they stalking Bruce?

That was when Bruce launched an attack, distracting the ninja with a smoke pellet before taking him down. A fight ensued, which naturally ended with Bruce throwing the guy into the roof accessing building on the roof. Seeing that the ninja was down for the count, Bruce strolled towards his fallen foe, reaching down to grab a fist full of the man's bodysuit. "_Now then, I've got some questions for you and you're going to answer every single one of them. If—"_

He was then interrupted by a dart suddenly striking the ninja's neck. Whipping around, the video feed showed more of the ninjas standing on the edge of the building, each one looking down the Dark Knight. "_Who are you?"_ Bruce demanded. "_Why the hell are you following me?"_

Of course, he didn't get an answer and that's when things typically went the way they usually did with Bruce: he got into a fight. A fight with ninjas with samurai swords who were trying to take his head off. _Damn it, Bruce_, Zatanna groused. _Why does everything with you end in violence?_

Oddly enough though, the fight didn't end with Bruce bleeding from punctures in his body nor were all the ninjas incapacitated, though that wasn't for lack of trying. Instead one of the ninjas backed off and held out their hand for him to stop, miraculously causing Bruce to stop.

"_Enough,"_ a distinctively accented—and more important—distinctly _woman_ voice said. "_We mean you no harm."_

"_No_ _harm?"_ Bruce retorted._ "Right. Then what do you call this?"_

"_You attacked one of our own. We were only trying to retrieve him when you intervened."_

"_You've been following me for months. What is it you want?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Bullshit."_

"Nice language," Zatanna muttered. For some reason, she wasn't liking this interaction. Perhaps she was being catty, but just hearing this conversation, even if Bruce wasn't buying what the ninja girl was saying, irritated her.

As it turned out, ninja girl didn't seem to care about Bruce's brashness. "_Believe what you will. You have bigger problems before you."_

"_Which still makes you a problem. This ends tonight. I will not be looking over my shoulder while you're watching me, waiting for the opportunity to strike. That's the only reason you have for not attacking me yet and you know it."_

There was a brief pause before, "_I can promise you this: you have nothing to fear from us. We will not interfere with your battle with the clown."_

"_Excuse me if I have my doubts about that."_

"_A warrior should always be cautious, even when approached by a friend. Perhaps when this is all over, we can meet again—assuming that you survive."_

Alright, that tone sounded _way_ too approving. Then there was that last jab at the end, "if you survive." Considering what happened, it was damn near taunting Zatanna and Bruce with his future. Of course, this was three years ago and Bruce was still able to think about life following the Joker.

Then, ninja girl dropped off over the edge of the building, Bruce rushing to look over it to find no sign of her anywhere. After a few painful moments of silence, he then turned and headed off somewhere else in the city, heading right for his parked Batmobile before taking it back to the cave.

At which point Zatanna stopped the feed. "I think we're done with this video."

"Nothing else happens?" Hawkgirl questioned her.

"He and I talk when he gets back, but other than that, nothing." She then sighed with resignation. "That just leaves the third one."

That was when J'onn spoke up. "Perhaps it would be best to take a break," he suggested. "We have been at this for quite some time and it would be prudent for us to get some rest. I know Zatanna and Flash have been up all night."

"Is it morning?" Flash asked before he gave a big yawn. "Huh, hadn't realized it," he said before adding, "I agree with J'onn, we need to get some rest. The rest of the videos aren't going anywhere and we need to inform Supes and GL on what we've found."

"You two can go," Hawkgirl spoke up. "J'onn and I got some while you all were out saving the city. We'll wait up for the others to come back."

Flash gave a mock salute before he shot off to...well, somewhere in the cave. Zatanna wasn't sure, but hopefully it was a place with a bed. She wasn't looking forward to using a cot or one of the medbay tables.

Though to be honest, she doubted if she'd be able to rest much. She didn't know what she would find at the end of the feed, but she could feel that she wouldn't like it, not with those ninjas stalking him all over the city and what she found at ACE. Hopefully Superman and Stewart found something to give them a better lead than what they found.


	19. Disgraced, But Not Defeated

Black armor clashed again the floor, causing a sharp clattering to fill the room. Wincing, the Detective looked into his mirror, seeing the dark bruises that covered his body.

He had taken quite a beating against the Amazon Princess. He had expected his chest to be black-and-blue, much like how he was seeing it. The blood trapped beneath his skin had ended up running down his body, thanks to gravity, and the bruise had spread down to his abdomen. His arms weren't so bad off, though they were definitely discolored with random splotches of purple here and there. He didn't bother trying to look at his back; it was probably just as marred as the rest of him.

Hitching his breath, he ran a hand up his side, feeling his ribs for damaged bone. Unfortunately, he found some, a couple fractured ribs on his left, another three on his right, and a definite crack along his sternum. This was going to take months to heal and it wasn't like he had the time for that.

"_Why is it you have returned?" the Master spoke, looking down on the black-clad man from his throne._

"_Master," the Detective responded, kneeling down before the great Ra's al Ghul. "I return with a prisoner, the Amazonian Princess."_

_He sensed he had the Master's full attention upon him. "The Amazon? Was she not supposed to be terminated as you reported?"_

_Though reluctant, he gave a sharp nod, doing his best to controls his breathing. The pain he felt in his torso was clawing at him, making it harder to breathe. "I was mistaken," he relented, prostrating himself before his Master. "She survived my attack and followed me to Gotham. That is where I captured her."_

_There was a brief pause before, "And what of the others? If she survived, then it is likely the others may have as well."_

"_I share the same thought," the Detective replied. "Unfortunately, she has been sedated for the journey back to base. I have not been able to interrogate her for her knowledge."_

_There was another moment of silence, this one much longer than the previous one. "You dissapoint me, Detective," the Master declared, much to the black-clad man's chagrin. "You have failed me and disobeyed a direct order. Such transgressions cannot go unpunished."_

"_I know. I await my punishment as you see fit, Master."_

"_Believe me, that will come in due time, Detective. What can you tell me of your sojourn in Gotham? Surely it was worthy of your disobedience."_

_The Detective kept his gaze on the ground before him. He was being toyed with and he knew it. The Master wanted every last shred of intelligence he had before he paid the ultimate price. At least in these last moments he could serve the Master better than he had alive. "The pit is secured and ready for your command. Once I sealed the entrance, however, I was confronted with a madman called the Joker."_

"_The clown?" Ra's al Ghul repeated, his curiosity clearly piqued. "I was unsure that he was still alive. And he managed to gain entry to the pit?"_

"_As I said, he hadn't. In fact, he was more interested in me than what we were doing there. He led a bunch of his followers to confront my men while he slipped in behind them. He claimed to know me, calling me his 'Batman.'"_

"_To which he fled the pit and you followed him into Gotham," the Master then said, rightfully predicting what had happened._

"_Yes, Master."_

"_And his current status?"_

"_He is in police custody."_

"_Another failure then." Once more the Master's tone was disproving. It sickened the Detective to hear it. "Why did you not eliminate this Joker?"_

"_The Amazon attacked me during our encounter," he replied. "By the time I subdued her, the Joker had been apprehended and in lock down at the GCPD."_

_Once more, the Master fell silent, most likely considering what he should do with the black-clad man. Already in disgrace, there wasn't much more he could do other than to hurry along this proceeding. So he said, "I accept full responsibility for the actions of myself and my men. We were not worthy to serve you in the capacity you assigned us and for that I will repent as you see fit."_

_There was an approving hint in the Master's tone as he replied, "Well said, Detective. You are to be remanded to your quarters until instructed otherwise. Consider yourself dismissed."_

Even now that meeting caused a sinking feeling to well up in his stomach. No one was allowed to live after failing Ra's al Ghul, so it was only a matter of time before he was given the option of honorable suicide or execution.

He heard the door to his room open, but didn't bother acknowledging it, instead reaching for a roll of bandages to begin wrapping around his body. Once the door closed, much to his mild surprise, he soon learned the identify of his visitor. "Beloved, I just heard that you had returned. What—"

Turning, the Detective faced Talia, who fell silent at the sight of him. "Beloved, what happened?" she gasped stricken.

"The full force of a speeding Amazon," he grunted out before eyeing his armor, seeing the dented surface from where he'd been hit. "I assume you heard of my failure."

He saw her nod slowly, her gait cautious as she approached him. She reached out and began running the tips of her fingers against his skin, the coolness of her touch a balm to his shattered pride. "I have," she finally said, eyes transversing his body. "But this doesn't change anything."

"Yes, it does." The Detective turned away to regard the mirror again, making to bind his torso with the bandages. "Now I don't stand a chance at obtaining the status of Ubu. I'm finished as soon as your father decides what to do with me."

That was when Talia reached out from behind him and took the bandage roll from him, administering to their application herself. "He already has," she spoke softly to him. "You are to be placed under my supervision."

The dark-haired man jerked his head up before whipping it around to stare at the woman. "Are you sure?" he questioned her intently. "You know how your father views failure."

Talia tilted her head up, looking haughtily at him. "Better than anyone. I cannot tell you how much effort it took to have him give you to me—Ubu was not pleased with this, as you can imagine."

They shared a smile with each other before the Detective turned back around, allowing Talia to continue her administrations. "Ultimately he agreed to spare your life, but now any failure of yours is a failure of mine. You will not get a second chance, Beloved."

He nodded his understanding. "This does interfere with our plans," he said resignedly.

"Your plans, perhaps," the dark-haired woman retorted. "You always did have short-sighted goals; fortunately I have higher aspirations for you."

It was then that Talia finished covering his body with the bandage, tearing the rest of the much smaller roll off and tossing it aside, tucking the torn end into the wrapping. Eyeing it satisfactory, the Detective turned around to fully face the woman, a questioning look on his face. "What are you talking about?"

Talia's head was still tilted back, but gone was her pride, replaced by intrigue. "You wish to be with me, yes Beloved?" she asked coyly.

He slowly nodded his response, unsure of where she was going with this.

"Then you must set your sights on a grander goal."

The Detective snorted. "What is greater than being the right-hand man of the Demon's Head?"

A twinkle appeared in the dark-haired woman's eye. "The Head itself, Beloved."

The implications of those words sank in after the man got over the shock he felt. He must've heard wrong; him become the Head? Blasphemy! This must've been a cruel joke by Talia, to tell him that her favor in him was coming to an end. Yet, the intense look she gave him told him otherwise.

"For your sake—as well as mine," the Detective began slowly, carefully choosing his words, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear those words."

Talia didn't look the least bit put off by his response. "Consider it, Beloved; you, me, the world at our beck and call. It can be all ours."

"And what of your father? He would not let such a thing come to pass."

"Of course not," she responded to him, still in high-spirits. "He did not become the man he is by letting lesser mortals defeat him. But he is several centuries old and his days are numbered. My father's time will be coming to an end soon—sooner if it is you and I who put that dagger in his back."

It was incredible what the Detective was hearing. Yet, he couldn't help but give in to those words. They carried such promise and he could feel himself wanting them to be his truth. Yet, he had to be sure that his wasn't just fool's gold. "Are you sure about this?" he questioned her. "You would willingly discard your father for someone as unworthy as me?"

Talia looked him in the eye. "Yes."

The corner of his mouth twitched up and he reached out for her, one hand going to her waist as the other caressed her cheek. In turn, Talia reached out to him, wrapping her arms around her neck as she pressed herself against him. His hand slid from her face to tangle in her hair, the two of them leaning in for a kiss.

And with that caress of lips, the Detective knew his fight wasn't over yet.

Parting, he leaned his forehead against the princess, looking at her in her eye. "What is your first order, Princess," he asked huskily.

She smiled at him before replying, "First we must investigate the Amazon, see whether any of her comrades are still alive. We may be able to use them if needed."

"As you command."

That was when her arms tightened against the back of his neck, keeping him from parting from her. "There is another piece of business we must discuss," Talia added. "Your armor request came through. Separated plates, I believe it was?"

The Detective nodded. "For greater mobility. My previous armor reduced my flexibility and...well, you can see that its use is over."

Talia spared a glace to the dented armor, giving a stoic look. "Then it seems your new armor arrived at a most advantageous time."

"Quite. I will see to the interro—"

Again, the dark-haired woman refused to let him leave her. "That can wait," Talia murmured to him then, leaning her face closer to his. "You have other obligations that need to be fulfilled."

The Detective smirked at her implication. "As you command."

* * *

Growing up, Diana had found the occasions few and far inbetween when she was forced to fall unconscious. Her early training days when she came of age to be an Amazon warrior were such times. As she had grown older, she became the one to render her fellow sisters into the depths of unconsciousness. Soon enough, there wasn't a single opponent that could take her down.

When she had come to Man's World though, that's when she began experiencing such occasions on a more frequent basis. This was quickly becoming unacceptable to her.

One thing she didn't like about it was the disoriented feeling she'd get upon waking up. It made it harder for her to become aware of her surroundings and that was not a desirable state of mind for a warrior. Still, it was a common enough routine that she could immediately notice there was something different with her. Diana felt nauseous, which was definitely something she wasn't used to feeling.

Suppressing a groan, the Amazonian princess opened her eyes slowly, finding herself in a small cell. The walls and floor were made of natural rock, so everything lacked Man's preferences for smooth, artificial constructions. Even the wall against her back was rugged with bumps and jagged ends of stone.

She then became aware of her posture, arms extended up and away from her body, her legs spread eagle. Despite the rudimentary appearance of the cell, bulky, mechanical locks covered her feet and hands, securing her to the wall and floor. Curiously, a dull blue light glowed from portions of the restraints, signifying some sort of power source fueling it. Flexing her arms and legs, Diana tried to move her appendages in any way she could, finding that she was unable to free herself. It quickly became apparent that she was a captive.

Diana grimaced. To think, a warrior of her caliber held against her will—what did her goddesses think of her now? She felt shame within herself at her predicament, silently making a vow to rectify her situation at her first opportunity.

Until then, she was forced to wait for her captors to come retriever her, or more likely interrogate. The Amazon was not under any delusion that she was to be kept here and ignored. It was also likely that she would receive very little in hospitality. She truly was at the mercy of another's whim.

Was this how her mother and sisters felt under Hercules' occupation?

Diana's face hardened. No, she would not give up so quickly. She was the Princess of the Amazons and no device made by Man could hold her! Calling upon her strength, she pulled at her restraints, determined to prove that her divine gifts could not be quelled by Man's technology. "Hera, give me strength," she hissed as she continued to pull. For a moment, she thought she was beginning to make headway as the restraint on her left hand shifted slightly. Focusing on it, she continued to use her strength to overwhelm it.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, Diana ended her resistance, staring up at the device. Had she been imagining things? It appeared to be that way, unfortunately. Why had Hera declined to aid her at this time?

The sound of an unlocking lock caught her ear and the Amazon turned her attention to the door on the opposite side of the room. The hinges squealed shrilly as the steel-plated door swung into the room, a person entering into her cell.

Diana could not hold back the scowl that appeared on her face. The man in black, the so-called Batman entered the room, closing the door behind him. It seemed he had cleaned up since the last time they had met, what with him wearing undamaged armor. Actually, if she wasn't mistaken, it bore a different design, as if the armor were divided at portions. Regardless, she distinctly recalled the previous armor giving way beneath her fists when she rammed into him. This one would be no difference once she freed herself.

The man regarded her silently for a moment, drinking in the sight of her before he decided to speak. "Are you hungry?" he asked in a gravelly voice. "Thirsty? Or do you need to relieve yourself?"

Diana just remained silent, letting her eyes glare daggers at him. He didn't seem to mind her silence, instead stepping towards her until they were mere feet away. "You may be feeling nausea at the moment," Batman spoke to her, ignoring her attitude. "That would be the sedative I gave you and later on the amount that was pumped into you during our flight here. You are a very formidable opponent and taking you on in a midair battle would not end well."

"As I recall, you didn't fare well during our last fight," the Amazon retorted with derision.

"Yet here we are, you in bondage and I your captor," he was quick to point out. "You outclass me in pure strength, I do not deny that, Amazon, but fortune smiled upon me in our last engagement."

"Care to see who it smiles upon this time?" she goaded him. "I know I would."

The corner of his mouth twitched up, forming a small smile. "I hope you'll forgive me if I pass. There are other matters we need to discuss."

"Such as?"

The Batman crossed his arms over his chest, his cloak resting towards one side of his body, revealing the other. "How did you overcome the nanites?" When Diana refused to answer, he pressed on, "Was it the witch? Did she come to your aid?"

That caused the princess to narrow her eyes at him. "Her name is Zatanna."

That didn't seem to faze the man. Instead he stared at her impassively, waiting for her to answer him. That only made her already-low opinion of him drop that much more. "For someone she holds in such high regard, I find she has misplaced her loyalties."

Again, he was not swayed, though he did respond. "I care little of your opinion of me, but you will answer my questions, one way or another."

Diana tilted her head back haughtily. "Do your worse, little man."

The corner of his mouth twitched up again, this time much more noticeable. "Have it your way. You will come to regret those words, I assure you—the same way the Kryptonian and the Flash did after I was finished with them. They wept for me to stop."

Fury howled in the princess' ears, her face twisting with rage as she bared her teeth. How _dare_ this man insult his betters?! Had he no honor?! "Do not dare insult those men. They are the finest of warriors!" she seethed at him.

"Not nearly as great as the Green Lantern or Martian, surely," he mocked her. "Then again, you didn't see the Lantern screaming in terror before I granted him mercy."

"You call yourself a warrior?!" she shouted, pulling on her bonds to no avail. The man in black was lucky that she was restrained like this, otherwise there wouldn't be anything left of him to put back together once she finished with him. "You mock the pain you caused them? How dare you?!"

"For an Amazon, you seem very protective of these men," the man commented. "I find that curious."

"I protect all I call friend," she snapped at him. "Even the ones you cast away."

"Referring to the witch?"

"Zatanna."

Strangely enough, he let out a chuckle. It was so out of place that Diana couldn't help but pause at it. "Tell me something, Amazon, you all seem to believe I am this 'Batman' person. As I understand it, he was consumed in hellfire a long time ago. Why is it you insist on calling me by the name of a dead man?"

"Why do you seem to insist on not being that man?" Diana retorted. "From what I've seen, you _are_ him, what with your costume echoing your old one."

Batman stared at her for a moment. "Fine, I'll play your little game," he said. "I cannot be this Batman because I was not even in the States during his time. I was a lost soul who was graciously taken in by my Master. That's how I know I am _not_ your Batman."

"Yet Zatanna saw your face, did she not?" the Amazon countered. "And she believes beyond a doubt who you are. Say what you will, but I would sooner believe the words of the Deceiver than take your word over that of one of my sisters."

"Believe what you want to believe," Batman replied with a shrug. "It matters not to me except as a passing curiosity."

"If it were only that, you would not have asked about it."

A smug look appeared on Diana's face. Though this Batman had used the breaks in their discussion to his advantage thus far, this one she could tell was not one he was particularly fond of. "Care to keep interrogating me?" she asked sweetly.

The shift in his posture told her he was trying to reassert himself, not that she would allow him to. "Where are your companions?" he demanded harshly.

"I will not tell you."

"Afraid I'll go and finish them off?"

"Highly unlikely."

"What makes you think they'll succeed where you've failed?"

"Because they don't cling to the shadows. They'll face you head on and win."

"Don't confuse your strategy for theirs."

"There is no confusion except when it comes to you. They are true warriors."

"Be that as it may, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out where your friends are."

Diana couldn't help but smirk at that. "Oh really? Then why are you asking me where they are?"

"Merely to triangulate their position," Batman retorted succinctly. "Case in point, you couldn't have gone to any hospital—too exposed, not to mention the press would've alerted the world within moments of your arrival. Then there's the fact that you and the witch showed up in Gotham, right as Joker began destroying it. As fast as you are, you would've had to be in the area in order to confront me as you did."

_Well, Hawkgirl did say he was smart._ Diana had to admit his reasoning was pretty sound. A nagging thought appeared at the back of her head, telling her that if he truly wanted to, he could track down her friends—he just wanted to make things easier by getting it out of her. She would have to tread carefully.

"Then it seems you have all you need," she said, staring him down like an insect. "Perhaps you should go catch them then."

"All in due time." Suddenly, the man stepped towards her until he stood mere inches away. His hand then reached up to her throat, one of them holding what appeared to be two semicircles connected to each other at one end. Pressing one of the semicircle against her throat, he then moved the second one until it pressed against the back of her neck, connecting the two with an audible click under her right ear.

Instantly, Diana lunged at him, her anger coming back in full force. How dare he place a collar on her?!

Almost amused by her attempt, Batman moved away from her, holding up a small device in his hand. Only the Amazon's curiosity was able to subdue her rage long enough to make her examine the cylindrical object. With his thumb on one in, he then pressed it down.

Suddenly, Diana burst out screaming as electricity shocked her body, starting at her neck and burning throughout her entire body. It was only for a few seconds, but it seemed to last much longer than that, only stopping when Batman released the button his thumb held.

Smoke began wafting off her body as the princess hung her head, breathing hard. "Just to let you know, there will be servants coming in a little while, to assist with any bodily functions you may need to perform," the man said blandly. "If you decide to make a nuisance of yourself, they will give you another dose of high-voltage electricity."

"You...won't..get away...with this…" Diana gasped out.

"Perhaps. That entirely depends on if you can break out of your restraints, which I highly doubt."

"Never underestimate an Amazon."

He stared at her for a moment, considering those words. "You may be right," he agreed. "Very well, why aid you any further than I already have?" Diana had to bite back a retort about such aid, or lack thereof. "You shall not receive any food or water during the duration of your stay."

"Your hospitality is very lacking, little man. And stupid if I may say so. Do you really expect me to break without providing the meager nutrition you intended on give me?"

Once more he smirked at her, something that was beginning to annoy the Amazon. "No, I don't expect you to break. You're much too sturdy for such tactics. No, this is more of an...experiment. I have heard stories of your people possessing immortality and I wish to put that to the test. We shall learn very soon whether you starve or survive."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "As I told you before, do your worst."

"Believe me, Amazon, I intend to."

* * *

The Detective left the cell. He had to give the Amazon this: she was definitely spirited. Of course, having spirit did not equate to having brains.

The others had survived their initial encounter. This was most disappointing. Though he only had confirmation that the witch, the Kryptonian, and the Flash were alive, it would be wishful to think the other three were eliminated; it was safer to assume they too were alive until proven otherwise. While he didn't know how they survived, that hardly mattered anymore—what was important was that his strategies hadn't worked as designed.

At least he knew they were still in Gotham though. If he could arrange it, he'd keep them there until the Master's plan was implemented—he would have liked to see how Kryptonian flesh stood up against the Lazarus waters.

However, perhaps there was another use for them. If the black-clad man was going to succeed in his and Talia's coup, then he was going to need some serious firepower and he was quite familiar with these heroes' talents.

Besides, once they achieved his goal, they could be disposed of. Though his strategies didn't eliminate them, they did neutralize them. It was just a matter of making sure they were finished off. Of course, they'd be expecting a similar line of attack like at Etemenanki, which he could exploit. After all, he had plenty of other strategies he could use, each one much more lethal than the last.

And as he strode through the corridors, he couldn't help but give into the urge to save the Amazon for last. He would love to see her face when he showed her friends to her, their heads serving as trophies.

It was a rather magnificent thought to be sure.


	20. One Night Three Years Ago

Arms high above her head, Zatanna stretched out the kinks that had developed in her shoulders and back. She was a bit surprised she had been able to get some sleep, but perhaps she had been more tired than she thought. At least she felt more energized now.

High-heels clicking and clacking on the rough cave floor, the magician made her way back to the computer, seeing Superman and J'onn at the Batcomputer, apparently running some sort of test. She could see the computer analyzing something and the two aliens were watching it intently.

"What's up, fellas?" Zatanna asked as she reached them, the two men turning their heads to acknowledge her. "Looks like you guys managed to figure out how to use the computer."

"I hope you do not mind," J'onn replied to her. "I was watching how you performed the analysis of Flash's samples and felt it would be in our best interest if I learned the process."

"Hey, whatever helps the cause," the dark-haired woman said with a shrug. "Where's everyone else?"

"Flash is still napping and Hawkgirl and John went to rest not too long ago," Superman answered her. "J'onn and I require less sleep than everyone, so we've been keeping watch."

"Very kind of you boys. So, what exactly are you doing here?"

Superman turned to regard the computer screen again. "John and I found some sort of pit at the construction site. We obtained this sample and thought it would be best to find out what it is."

"Swell." Zatanna looked to the Martian then. "Did you tell him about the flower?"

J'onn nodded. "I have. He and Green Lantern came to the same conclusion we did."

"Well, sounds like we've covered everything. I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna get some breakfast. Doing magic on an empty stomach does not mix well with me." With that said, the dark-haired woman walked off without waiting for a reply. She could feel her stomach rumbling and it was best to answer it.

Retreating to the alcove with the stone-formed chair, Zatanna made sure the seat was clean of bat droppings before sitting down on in. "Tsafkaerb raeppa," she chanted, a puff of smoke blowing up in front of her. When the cloud of smoke disappeared, a tray with eggs, bacon, and fruit appeared in front of her, a couple glasses with juice and milk off to the side.

Without further ado, Zatanna dug in. She was normally a sociable person, but she sort of craved a moment to herself and what better than for a quick bite? Besides, she needed to brood and just sitting in this private place was giving her an idea why Bruce seemed to do it all the time.

She paused in her eating. Though she had fretted about not being able to sleep, she had actually passed out pretty damn quick. Now that she was more alert, she found it easier to actually think about things she rather not know. Unfortunately, that time would be coming soon. Damn, and she had to go and ruin her appetite.

Swallowing hard, Zatanna forced herself to chew on some egg that lost all taste to her. Okay, so she should've brooded after eating—good thing to know for future sessions. All she needed now was a butler to wait on her hand and foot and she'd fit into this place like a hand in glove.

Ugh, now she really wasn't hungry. Dropping her fork onto the plate, hearing it clang against the dish, Zatanna slouched in her seat, glaring at the tray in front of her. This must be an omen of some kind, one that was telling her she had to go on a diet—yeah, yeah, she really didn't need to, but she prefered that reasoning over another line of thinking. So she wasn't going to be eating, end of story. "Raeppasid," she said in disgust, the tray and breakfast vanishing in another cloud of smoke.

Today was going to suck, no bones about that. Instead of just sulking about it, it'd be best to face it head on and get it over with, kinda like taking off a band aid—at least that's how she was always told to remove those things. With a sigh, she pushed herself out of the chair and left the alcove, heading back to the main cave. Hopefully the others were up by now, though she highly doubted it.

As it turned out, Hawkgirl had gotten up and joined the other two aliens. Returning, Zatanna rejoined the group, crossing her arms under her chest as she looked at the screen. Seemed whatever sample Superman and Stewart brought back had finally been analyzed if she was reading the screen right. Of course, she didn't really understand any of it.

"So, what is this stuff?" she asked out loud for anyone to answer her.

"Apparently the Batcomputer doesn't know," Hawkgirl said as she too read the readout. "Though from what I'm getting from the compounds in it, it's some deadly stuff."

"Deadly how?"

"Well, theoretically, it could dissolve your entire body in a matter of seconds, leaving only your bones behind. At least that's what I'm assuming."

"Oh, so that deadly."

"There was something else too," Superman added. "When John and I found it, there was a ten kiloton bomb hanging over it. We were able to remove it and make sure it wouldn't detonate where anyone could be hurt, but it looked as if it were waiting to be dropped in."

"Okay, what is a kiloton and how bad is that?" Zatanna asked bewildered. "Cause from what I'm gathering, that doesn't sound like a good thing."

"It is a bomb with the power of what you would call an atomic bomb," J'onn supplied. "Though according to Superman, there was no radioactive material in the bomb, so the blast radius would be approximately the size of half of Gotham."

Eyes wide, the magician looked from the Martian to the Kryptonian to the Thanagarian and back, hoping she had heard that wrong. "What was something like that doing outside of Gotham?!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing throughout the cave.

"Not for any good reason," a new voice spoke up, causing Zatanna to turn and see Stewart and Flash approaching them. "There's something else going on that these group of assassins are working towards."

"We tried looking up the Head Development Corporation," Superman brought up, "but that turned out to be a dummy corporation. So that we're currently looking at a dead end as far as that is concerned. Fortunately, we were able to find out other projects this group is doing and we found them throughout the United States and Canada—two on the east coast, one on the west, three throughout the midwest and south, and another three in Canada."

"Seems strange that they'd operate in those two countries only," Hawkgirl mused.

"All sorts of businesses do that," Flash replied with a shrug. "But I would be interested to know what's going on at those other sites."

Superman nodded. "So do I, but that'll have to wait. There's currently construction work going on and I'd rather we not involve anymore people if we don't have to. We'll wait until nightfall to pick up the investigations."

"Which leaves us plenty of time to pick up where we left off." In a blur, Flash was sitting in the computer chair, reclining back in it with his hands behind his head and feet propped up on the computer console. "Dibs on the chair," he claimed with a smirk on his face.

"So you know how to work the computer, right?" Hawkgirl questioned him, amusement in her voice.

"Well, no."

"Then get out and let someone who does sit down."

Flash stared at the winged woman for a moment before he reluctantly stood up, grumbling all the while. Sighing, Zatanna stepped forward and took the seat, drawing up the video log menu and opening the last untitled entry.

As a new window popped up, the sight of the cave appeared. "_So, come up with something?" _a voice announced through the speakers, one that Zatanna recognized as her own.

"_I have. Come this way,"_ Bruce answered before he began walking towards the medbay. Once he reached the platform, he began making his way to one of the beds, heading straight for a cabinet.

"_So what is it? Is there something here that you think can give us an edge?"_ the magician's voice asked while Bruce opened one of the cabinet's drawers, reaching inside and grabbing a small canister, one that made Zatanna grimace at.

"_There is." _ Finally, Bruce turned to face her, the sight of the dark-haired woman in her costume looking at him expectantly. "_Zana."_

"_Yes?"_

That was when he shoved the cannister in her face and sprayed her with the chloroform. Zatanna watched as her own eyes rolled back and she began to fall, only for Bruce to catch her instantly.

"_I'm sorry."_

A lump appeared in her throat, even as she watched Bruce lift her up and place her on the metal table. Even though it was just a recording, it was almost as if he were addressing her here and now. One of his black gloves appeared on screen, brushing aside some hair from her face in a caring caress before the camera whirled around and left the medbay, heading for the platform with the Batmobile.

This was not going to get easier.

* * *

As promised, young girls had come to assist Diana in relieving herself. They even cleaned her before drawing her star-spangled briefs back on. The entire time, the Amazon tried speaking with them, to encourage them to help her out. She was met with silence for all of her efforts and eventually the girls left without a second glance.

That left the princess to her own devices. Further struggling against her restraints were futile, so she had given up on that. Instead the Amazon devised ways to trick someone into unlocking one of her hands, or even a leg. It was a wishful thought if everyone was just like Batman or the girls, blindly serving this "Master" of theirs. While she care not a wit about Batman, seeing the girls doing as they were told like slaves was painful to her. No woman should be forced into such servitude.

Fortunately, her solitude came to an end, the lock being undone and the door squealing as it opened. However, instead of the Batman as she expected, a new man entered the room. Enveloped in a green cloak, the man strode into the cell with a confidence she was unaccustomed to. Mankind was a diverse race and thus there were many ways a man held himself. This one walked as if he were a living God, a foolish view too many men gave into.

However, the look in his steely blue eyes told her this was also a man of aristocracy, used to getting his own way by any means necessary. Groomed hair with white streaks gave him a rather distinguished look as well.

"I had heard rumors of your beauty, Amazonian," the man spoke to her once the door closed behind him. "And I must say, they do you an injustice."

Diana stared at the man through narrowed eyes. "And who are you?"

The man's head tilted back, not the least bit haughty, but more so confidence. "I am Ra's al Ghul, the Head of the Demon's Fang."

"Never heard of you."

Instead of being put off by her dismissal, this Ra's person merely returned her response with a small smile. "I had not expected someone of your status to know of me. I have gone to great lengths to make my name only a whisper, a dreadful curse in the depths of men's hearts. Only the worthy are able to seek me out."

_Arrogant fool,_ Diana groused. "To what do I owe the 'honor' of your presence?"

"Merely to gaze upon the face of the Amazon that thwarted the Detective, though your company is proving to be its own reward."

"Detective?" she inquired. She hadn't met anyone that had gone by that name so far, so she was drawing a blank at the moment.

Upon seeing her questioning look, Ra's explained, "One of my servants, the one you engaged in combat twice and were defeated. I believe you refer to him as the Batman."

So this was Batman's Master, the mastermind behind all of this. Perhaps she could turn this into a boon for her. "And what of the Order of Assassins?" she inquired. "Or is it a League?"

"Order, League, Society," he spoke dismissively, "they are all one of my many fangs."

So, they were all the same group, the name just a red herring to distract them. It seemed needlessly complicated, though perhaps that was the point; Men so enjoyed making things more complex than they needed to be. "So how long were you and Batman in cahoots? Men like you do not embark on great endeavors without carefully planning your steps."

Ra's seemed amused by her words, a smirk appearing on his face. "You are very inquisitive. Couple that with your raw strength and beauty and I can see why the Detective stayed his hand when he had the chance to kill you. Very well, I will answer you questions—after all, you do not have long to live."

* * *

Bruce had had a long night. Between buzzsaws, exploding tea cups, and a giant shark, it was a wonder he was still on his feet at all. Rushing into burning buildings to save people who were unfortunate enough to get trapped inside was just another chore for him it seemed until he changed tactics and began tracing the Joker through one of his leftover projectors.

Faintly, Zatanna wondered just how much help she could've been. She couldn't have performed much better than Bruce had when saving the Wayne Board members, but perhaps she might have been able to get in on some civilian-saving action if she had been out there.

Just another regret in a long list of them.

Eventually Bruce had gone to the old ACE Chemical Plant and surprisingly found the Joker. Was this why the Joker had chosen that place last night? To jog his supposed-missing memory? It seemed crazy to her for someone to blow up a city a second time just to remind someone about them.

And that wasn't even factoring how one-sided the fight had been in Bruce's favor. He clearly had the upper hand throughout, the Joker occasionally turning the tables, such as removing Bruce's belt and spray acid onto his gauntlet. If this was a boxing match, the judges were firmly in Bruce's corner.

Then out of nowhere, electricity began zapping the dark-clad man. "_Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" _Bruce screamed, his body freezing up until he collapsed onto the ground. The Joker began strolling around him like a cat stalking prey.

"_Now wasn't that shocking!"_ Joker exclaimed. "_My mother always said to carry an electric buzzer—you never knew when you'd need one, heh heh!"_

The sound of footsteps on gravel stopped then. "_I don't know about you, but I think this is as good as any time to take a break." _ The footsteps started up again, stopping a moment later, all the while Bruce stared at the ground, his breathing heavy and deep. "_The glow of fire, the rising smoke, the sound of sirens crying into the night," _the Joker remarked._ "It truly is a work of art, if I don't say so myself. Charlie Mason couldn't have painted a picture like this and he's had plenty of time to learn, eh heh!"_

Bruce turned his head then, getting a look as the Joker stood at the edge of the roof, looking over his handiwork. Suddenly, the madman spun around.

"_You know, I never really got why you protect this city. I mean, it's not like crime will ever stop, you know? You're just one guy and what have you managed to accomplish? Prevented a couple of would-be purse-snatchers? Made some bullies rethink their ways before you showed up to give them a mouthful of busted teeth? I mean really, it's sad if you think about it. One day when you're gone, this city is gonna go right back to the way it was, as if you never existed. That's really sad now that I say that out loud. I mean, you can't even laugh at how miserable that sounds."_

Zatanna found herself clenching her hands into fists at that. It angered to hear the psycho casually dismiss all of Bruce's work, though taking a look at Gotham right now it seemed as if the Joker's words were prophetic. The rise of the Jokerz, the GCPD fighting to clean the streets a block at a time again—it was as if the city naturally wallowed in filth

Then, as if to add insult to injury, "_Oh what the hell, I'll laugh anyways. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"_

It seemed Bruce shared the magician's sentiment as he forced himself up onto his feet and went charging at the sadistic clown, tackling him and surprisingly sending the both of them falling off the edge of the building. A shattering of glass occurred as they landed on a glass enclosure, the entire screen going red as fire filed Bruce's lens. There was a gasp of pain as he and the Joker landed on a catwalk, Bruce rolling off the clown and lying on the metal walkway.

Yet, neither him or the Joker were quite done fighting each other it seemed. The two pushed themselves up, only Joker was up first. As the madman scream in fury, throwing a punch at Bruce, Zatanna faintly wondered how long this fight took. From the rooftop into the actual plant, it seemed as if these two were constantly brawling unless the Joker called an unexpected timeout.

Oddly enough, it seemed the rest of the people in the cave were silent, watching the screen intently. There were no quips from Flash or commentary from the others. It was as if they were consumed by some action movie, or something.

Or perhaps they all understood the seriousness of the situation.

* * *

"I first heard of the Detective after his clash with the tragic Victor Fries," Ra's stated, his voice droll, as if he were speaking of a grocery list than what was basically a recruitment story. "I believe you would know of it as the Night of Ice."

"I have heard of that incident," Diana acknowledged. It was something that had occurred before she had arrived in Man's World, but it was usually referenced when the topic of Batman was spoken of. Two vigilantes, one attempting to destroy the city, the other trying to save it, and one came out on top.

"As has most of the Western World. Upon hearing on of it, I sent out my League of Assassins to investigate the matter." Ra's voice took on a tone of admiration then, as if he were remembering a fond memory. "Unexpectedly, the Detective detected the presence of my men almost immediately. Many a time he would elude them, succeeding more often than not. I do admit I have had the passing thought every now and then as to how he managed to discover them. It is not a simple endeavor."

Diana was tempted to make a quip of how Ra's overestimated his men, but bit that down as she recalled Batman's observations of herself and the others, going unnoticed the entire time. Perhaps there was something to these ninjas' skills.

"Then came the mechanizations of the late Dr. Thomas Elliot. Though not as widely recognize as Dr. Fries, he did prove himself a formidable presence during his attempt to eliminate the Detective."

The Amazon listened intently to the story. Vaguely she recalled hearing from Batman's logs of "Eyes in the Night." It seemed his paranoia was right. So when did he actually encounter these assassins? So far it seemed he was initially antagonistic towards them, not that she blamed him. Being followed by an unseen enemy was, having them observe her every move, and potentially more did not sit well with her.

"Of course, Dr. Elliot failed in his endeavor and it wasn't until the reign of chaos by the mad clown was he challenged again. By then, I had to send out more worthy hunters to keep eyes on the Detective, including my daughter."

The princess clenched her jaw tightly, her face hardening. "You would send your own daughter to do your dirty work than handle it yourself?" she stated with a glower.

That seemed to kill this cowardly man's mood. "Her involvement in the matter was of her own choosing. I only accepted her decision. Of course, I would've much prefer she did not engage the Detective as she did, but that fight proved most informative."

"If it had been you, you could've learn that first hand."

Ra's leaned towards her, shadows creeping up his face as his eyes took on a deadly tint. "If I had fought the Detective, I assure you he'd still be dead."

* * *

"_This madness ends _now_!"_

Zatanna couldn't repress the shudder she felt at those words. The raw anger of Bruce's demand was harsh and unyielding. She hadn't ever heard him like, even when he was losing himself in his obsession. Only a fool would've stood up to that ultimatum.

"_Who are you kidding, Batsy? We've only just begun!"_

Insanity shown from the Joker's maniacal from his eyes, his grotesque smile reaching from ear to ear. The flames in the background gave him a devilish look, a demon rising from Hell itself.

Zatanna had thought she knew how crazy the Joker was, but she was beginning to think no one really knew the full extent of it. Maybe the Joker did, but he probably didn't care.

And then, a loud groaning sound rang out, quickly followed by the catwalk suddenly dropping from beneath the men. The room turned sideways as they were pitched off of the walkway, Bruce's grip on Joker slipping as the other man screamed. A rush of flames hit the two of them, the green-haired man disappearing right before Bruce's eyes. The view them turned upward, showing the class enclosure of the roof as he pulled further and further away from it. One of his arms appeared in front of him as his other hand moved to touch it, ending in it grabbing his wrist as if in disbelief. Bruce must have been trying to use that glider cape of his, or so Zatanna thought; yet, because he had discarded it due to Joker's acid attack, it wasn't where he instinctively expected it to be. And with every frantic move he made, she felt her heart sink.

Suddenly, everything came to a stop, a loud, wet _THUD!_ being heard. The view jerked due to the back of Bruce's head viciously bouncing off the floor and whipping back down, finally coming to a stop. All anyone could see was the ceiling, flames covering everything else. Bruce's ragged breathing poured out of the speakers, deep and heavy at first before they began growing weaker.

Zatanna's hands covered her mouth, tears welling up around her eyes as she let out a choked sob. She had imagined had Bruce had died, being burnt alive for the most part. She hadn't really given much thought to how the fires had gotten him, just that they had. Now she was watching and hearing what sounded like his last moments. Something was supposed to happen, right? Right?

And then she heard the death rattle. A raspy gasp was made before a final sigh and then nothing. Only the faint crackling of burning flames came out of the speakers. As if to further prove that this was indeed death, Bruce's head lulled to a side, coming to a jerking stop as the room appeared sideways. A puddle of red blood slowly grew from one side the screen and slowly extending out towards the middle.

"Oh man," someone said, Zatanna wasn't sure who. If anything else was said, she didn't hear it. At one point, she felt a hand on her shoulder, someone attempting to provide her some comfort, but she didn't acknowledge it. She couldn't tear her eyes from the screen, even as tears poured down her cheeks.

It was because of that sole focus that she noticed something move. It was hard to see through and around the fire, but a shadow jumped. Brow furrowing and hands dropping to the armrests, she stared until more shadows flickered by.

Suddenly, a foot appeared on the screen standing in the blood. Voices speaking words she didn't understand came out of the speakers, guttural and foreign. What the hell was this?

Someone bumped the chair, startling Zatanna out of her stupor. Jerking her head to a side, she saw Stewart standing next to her, leaning towards the monitor and looking at it intently. "That's Farsi," he spoke with surprise.

"Farsi? How do you know that?" Flash asked him, sounding just as astonished.

Not bothering looking to the red-clad man, Stewart answered, "I did a couple tours in Afghanistan and met a lot of people who spoke that language. Don't know what they're saying, but I'd recognize that language anywhere."

Returning her eyes to the screen, Zatanna was just in time to see the view begin to jerk around before a gloved hand covered what would be Bruce's eyes. That's when the picture cut out and everything went black. The same with the audio as the speakers went quiet.

"So, we've got Farsi-speakers with access to a rare flower in the Himalayan Mountains and a group of ninjas that were watching Batman for nearly two years," Hawkgirl began. "Who'd like to bet these are the same people and they took Batman's body?"

"Sounds good to me," Flash quipped. "But what would they want with his body?"

* * *

"Still dead?" Diana questioned, not sure what Ra's was getting at.

"Unfortunately, the Detective died during his last confrontation with the clown," Ra's informed her, much to her disbelief. "My men were too late to save him, instead recovering his body. They then transported his body to a nearby Lazarus Pit in a gambit to restore him."

_Lazarus Pit?_ Diana hadn't heard of such a thing before, but it seemed to mean something to this man. She needed to find out just what it was. "Obvious this 'Lazarus' succeeded," she said carefully

"Partly," the man admitted. "While his life was restored—something only few can claim—he fell victim to the madness the pit causes." A smirk appeared on his face, once more fondly reminiscing to himself. "He managed to maim six of my men before he was successfully restrained."

"It seems I lack the knowledge of these pits. I don't understand how it can do what you claim it can do."

Ra's smirk grew larger and more malicious at the Amazon's admission. "The secrets of the Lazarus Pit are known to only a few. In order to use it, one must understand its properties, such as its lethality to living flesh. Were I to plunge you into a pit, not even your reputed immortality would stop the waters from consuming you whole. But, if dead tissues were to be exposed to it, they can be revitalized and rejuvenated."

"And thus resurrect a dead man," Diana surmised before narrowing her eyes. "Or prolonging their life."

This comment pleased the man. "Very astute, Amazonian. I will admit that I too have bathed in the Lazarus, so I understand the madness those waters can cause. But whereas I can retain my sanity with the correct stimuli, the horror of death and the trauma of rebirth robbed the Detective of his mind and memory. Still, it presented an opportunity to reforge him, make him something better and unbreakable."

_Or brainwash him._ No matter what pretty label Ra's al Ghul put on it, he took advantage of a man at his weakest moment and corrupted him.

"I was prepared to take the time necessary to retrain him, but it seemed his body had a longer memory than his mind." Ra's seemed to marvel at his own words as he continued his praise. "Of all the men I have had the honor of training, he was the fastest and most sharp. Within months he had regained his prior level of skill and surpassed it."

"And then you set him upon the world," Diana prompted him.

"Close, but not quite. You and your kindred had been rising up in the last few years. With little knowledge on you, I set out the Detective to learn about you. A reconnaissance mission, nothing more; yet, he exceeded expectations, learning your weaknesses and constructing methods to subdue you. You've seen the fruits of his labor."

Oh yes, Diana was quite aware of those. Even now it was alarming that she hadn't known she was being studied for the last couple of years, that someone could conceal their presence so thoroughly that her instincts hadn't detected him. "So you wished to be rid of us," she surmised. "But for what purpose?"

"A worthy cause, I assure you." Ra's held himself straighter if that were possible. "As you and your Amazonian brethren known, Mankind is but a sickness on this planet. They destroy and reshape the world as they see fit, ignorant to the damage they are causing. The planet is sick and must be cured of this pestilence."

"So you intend to do what? Force them to bow to your wishes?"

Ra's shook his head. "It is far too late for such action. No, a purge is needed to restore the planet to its former glory. As I speak, bombs are being placed above Lazarus Pits across the globe. When activated, they will be plunged into those deadly waters and detonate, causing every pit to overflow and wash the human pestilence off the face of the planet."

* * *

I know many of you have been waiting for this chapter ever since it was revealed Batman was targeting Superman and the others. I hope it was everything you wished for and more. It's been a long time coming lol.


	21. The Coup Begins

Diana thought she had misheard, that this man in front of her wasn't talking about a genocide of biblical proportions. Surely no one was insane enough to do such a thing. Yet, one look into Ra's al Ghul's eyes told her that yes, there was at least one person in this world that was more than willing to commit such an atrocity.

A wave of revulsion hit the Amazon. She had been warned by her Sisters on Themiscyra of the depravities of Man; their endless need for dominance and taste for evil knew no bounds. This was the man they had been talking about, she was sure of it.

"You're a monster," she said lowly and with disdain. "For all of your self-gratificating words, you're just a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Ra's face fell, being replaced with one of disapproval. "Of all the people in this world, I had thought you'd understand," he spoke stoically. "The cruelties that your people faced surely prove what I have been saying."

"Some, yes," the Amazonian princess acknowledged, "but there is more to mankind than just the evils of a handful."

"Does a rotten apple not ruin the bushel?" Ra's retorted.

"People are not fruit!" she shouted back.

"Perhaps if they were, then there would be no need for people like me."

Diana arched an eyebrow. "Sociopathic murderers? Yes, the world could do with less of those."

Ra's glared at her. "Saviors, Amazonian. Saviors that are willing to make the necessary choice to save not only their world, but their future. Rarely are these choices black and white and bloodless. Though unfortunate, it is needed when evil has consumed everything good. I had expected someone of your station to know this well, but now it has become apparent to me that you are nothing more than a charlatan. The world needs saving, yet you do not wish to cure of it of its disease."

"You do realize your daughter is one of those people you detest so," the dark-haired woman pointed out. "Are you willing to sacrifice her for this madness? Is she willing to die for you?"

"Actually, she wish to dispose of me."

The way the man casually said that gave Diana pause. For someone with such a high opinion of himself, he seemed unconcerned by this news—in fact, he looked rather proud of the thought. What sort of twisted thinking did this man follow? "But that would mean she would—"

"Usurp, possibly even kill me, yes."

"And you're..._okay_...with this?"

Ra's familiar haughty look reappeared on his face. "I have lived for 700 years, Amazon. I have seen the rise and fall of many empires, leaders, and fools. To see the drive in my own flesh warms my very blood. If she proves herself worthy, I would gladly allow her to take my place—_her_ rightful place with the world as a gift. Even now, she plots with the Detective to overthrow me. It is something I have been expecting—even encouraged—for some time now."

What...what was going on here? Did Ra's want global dominion or to be overthrown? Nothing was making sense. "I do not understand," she admitted bluntly. "You plot your own demise? Is that what this is about?"

"Have you not been listening?" he responded, his voice taunting her. "Or have I overestimated your ability to comprehend the obvious?"

Diana scowled. "Do not insult an Amazon, little man. I am not the one seeking my own death while dragging the rest of the world with them. I did not train a broken man to eliminate the world's heroes just so he would defeat me."

"Yet, is not how your culture used to function?" Ra's challenged. "Only the strong rule—the ancient world is rife with such rulers. Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, they are only a few such men. The same existed with the Amazon as well before they vanished into the mists of time, I would imagine."

"Perhaps for men, but not Themiscyra," Diana shot back. "There is a reason those societies do not exist any more."

"True, but the world has suffered for it."

The princess snorted. "I find your contrived plot bothersome. Say what you will about genocide, in the end this was all just some way to find yourself an heir, nothing more."

Ra's was silent for a moment, something that the Amazon took as a victory. Obviously he was not used to others standing up to his insanity. That thought was dashed though when electricity began searing through her body, courtesy of the collar around her neck. The unexpected jolt caused her to convulse in her restraints, a pained scream ripping out of her lips.

Then, as soon as it began, it ended. As she panted, trying to recover from the attack, she caught out of the edges of her eyes the green-cloaked man holding one of those damned triggers. "I'm sure you recognized this," Ra's said in a bored tone. "One of the Detective's inventions, much like the restraints that hold you."

So Batman had made these. It made sense as to why she had been unable to free herself. However, Ra's did not appear to be finished with his taunting. "It would seem the Detective's assessment of you was more accurate than I thought: '_bright, but lacking in imagination._ _The Amazon's ingenuity extends as far as her fists can reach and no further.'_ I believe that's how he put it." As Diana seethed at the jab, Ra's leaned towards her, the shadows within the room covering his face and making him appear more insidious. "No matter how your simple mind comprehends it, the world will be reborn, regardless of whether it is I or the Detective who unleashes it. My will shall be done, be it in victory over my enemies, or failure at the hands of my daughter and her chosen."

There was a knock at the door, interrupting their conversation before Diana could respond. Stoically, Ra's turned to regard the door as it opened, a burly bald man poking his head through the doorway. "Master, the Secret Temple has been located," he informed him.

"Impeccable timing, Ubu. Prepare the helicopters immediately." With a bow, Ubu withdrew from the room, closing the door. Ra's returned his attention to Diana. "It seems our time together has drawn to a close, Amazon. I must say, I expected so much more from you."

"Sorry to disappoint," Diana retorted snarkily.

"As you should be. Now if you would excuse me, I must claim my destiny."

Watching as Ra's moved to the door, pausing long enough for the door to be opened for him, and disappeared through the doorway, the princess considered his words. Whatever this temple was about, the man clearly saw it as important in his mad quest. That didn't even include the complicated plot that surrounded his kin and her potential groom. Even now she couldn't fathom the relationship between father and daughter, considering Ra's admission of intrigue between them.

That was of little concern though, especially in light of the Lazarus Pits and the bombs that would effectively destroy the world. Family discourse fell a distant second to that. If only Diana could free herself; the others needed to be warned of this calamity and then an effort to stop this evil from happening.

* * *

Something was up. There was an unusual amount of activity in the halls, men hurrying up and down the corridors, steadfast in their missions. The Detective observed it all with a critical eye.

There were only a few instances where the Demon's Fang would be riled up so. The first would be the incursion of an enemy on the facility—though considering that most of the men traveled by themselves or with one other, that was highly unlikely. If there was a siege occurring, there would have been men rushing in droves to stem the attack.

The second instance would have to be at the order of the Master, and this one was far more likely. The Master did not travel all that often and when he did it was a mission of the utmost importance. The Detective had seen two such instances during his time in the Demon's Fang, both of which occurred early on in his training. He never found out what the reason for those were, but it was safe to say they involved matters that deeply concerned the Demon's Head.

Eyeing more soldiers racing through the hall, the Detective identified one as belonging to Talia's Order. Waiting until the man drew closer, the black-clad man raised a hand and clasped the man on his shoulder. "What's going on?" he demanded to know.

The assassin did not hesitate in his answer. "The Secret Temple of Rama Kushna has been discovered. The Master is overseeing the operation to lay claim to it."

The Detective gave a sharp nod and dropped his arm, letting the man go. The moment the ninja disappeared out of his peripheral vision, the black-clad man felt dizzy.

He hadn't expected for the temple to be found. The Secret Temple of the Shifting City had always been a legend to him—wishful thinking of aged old men desperate to stave off death. Even if it did exist, what need would the Master have for it since he had access to the Lazarus Pits? They had served him well over the centuries, had they not?

Leaving the corridor, the Detective sought the counsel of one he was sure would have answers. It was awhile before he entered a large hanger, multiple helicopters being prepared for launch. Towards one end of the room stood Talia, directing the preparations. Striding towards her, he soon stood next to the woman, coolly watching the work of countless men before them. "Rama Kushna?" he asked questioningly.

Talia nodded in response. "Yes, it seems one of my excursion teams was successful in their objective. Naturally it had to be the one team I viewed as frivolous."

"It seems I was wrong."

"We both were, Beloved. And now the Fountain of Life will be in the palm of Father's hand."

"This complicates things," the Detective surmised.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the dark-haired woman give him a coy look. "Thinking small again, Beloved?"

The black-clad man tilted his head to a side to look at the dark-haired woman, who was giving him a small smile. It didn't take him long to realize what her implications were. "I suppose you wish to take the temple," he said lowly.

"Naturally. If we were to take command of the Shifting City, it would deal a blow to Father and provide us a launching point to depose him."

The Detective glanced at the rest of the room before gazing down at Talia. "May I have a word in private with you."

"By all means."

The two left the hanger, heading to an unused room. The moment they entered it, the black-clad man locked the door and then did a quick survey of the room, searching for any prying ears, or hidden receivers. They were playing a dangerous game here and he would not let something as simple as an eavesdropper foil them. Once he was sure they were by themselves, he turned to face the dark-haired woman, who regarded him with amusement.

"It'll take more than simply stealing a city from him," The Detective stated calmly. After all, they were only usurping a man that was a veritable military genius. "Unless we open two fronts, we don't stand a chance."

"A wise idea," Talia agreed with a nod. "Where would be the second front?"

"Right here." Staring down her surprised look, he continued, "If we are successful in taking the Shifting City from your Father, he would undoubtedly return here. Just imagine that upon his return he was greeted at gunpoint. We would have captured him and have the Demon's Fang under our control."

"Brilliant, Beloved," Talia praised him, much to his satisfaction. "If you would stay here to arrange—"

The Detective immediately shook his head. "No, unfortunately that is not an option. If this were before my failure in Gotham, then I could rally the men. As of right now, I have no standing."

"But I must go with Father," she pointed out. "As his daughter, it is expected of me to be at his side on this momentous occasion."

"You're the one that can command the Order though," the black-clad man replied. "You could snatch the base up with mere words. I, on the other hand, can drive the Demon out of the Shifting City. It's the only way for this to work."

Talia eyed him carefully before she nodded her agreement. "You are correct, Beloved. Very well, I will stay behind while you force Father's hand."

Good, now that that was settled, they needed to discuss logistics. "How long do you think it'll take you to get control of this facility?"

The dark-haired woman tilted her head back confidently. "No more than an hour to seize control and eliminate the resistance."

Perfect. "That should be plenty of time then. I'll alert you to my success in the Shifting City; which will be your signal to begin the takeover. No need for you to put your neck out in case this venture fails."

Instantly, Talia closed the distance between them, placing a caressing hand against his face. "We will not fail," she said sternly.

He gave her a nod in response. "We will not," the black-clad man agreed. "I only say this in the off-chance something goes wrong."

A smile appeared on the woman's face. "You're concern for me is touching, Beloved. Just remember that it is _our_ time now. Together, no one will be able to stop us."

On impulse, the Detective leaned down, Talia reaching up as they met in a sweet kiss. Slowly pulling away, Talia dropped her hand from his face, still looking at him lovingly before her face dropped. "There is one thing you should be aware of," she said with resignation. "Father is taking all seven of his Men of Death with him."

A cold shiver ran up and down the man's spine. The Seven Men of Death, the Master's most elite group of assassins. Each one was more than formidable on their own, capable of handling any one of the Demon's Fangs single-handedly. They were only given the missions that the Master deemed too important to lose. Normally he would send one, maybe two of the assassins—it was unheard that he called on all seven. In fact, it had never happened before.

Damn it, this just complicated things.

"Keep as many of the Order here as you can," he told Talia. "Anyone that leaves for the Shifting City is as good as dead."

Talia widened her eye at him. "But what of you, Beloved? Even you cannot fight them and my Father alone, especially in your condition!"

She was right of course. His ribs had only just begun mending. A physical confrontation was not advisable. To him though, it just meant he needed to seek help elsewhere.

In fact, he could think of one right off the top of his head.

"Don't worry about me," the Detective informed her. "I have a plan."

Her smile returned. "I would worry about you regardless, Beloved. Go now; I await your signal."

* * *

It wasn't long after the departure of Ra's al Ghul that Diana received her next visitor. Door swinging open, Batman—or was this the Detective?—strode in, closing the door behind him. "I see that you are well, Amazon," he greeted her.

Diana just leveled him with a wary look. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I wish to talk more of your companions," he stated simply.

"Or do you mean dishonoring them with vile comments and unworthy remarks?" she challenged. "If so, you can leave right now. I have no more to say to you."

Batman gazed at her in amusement. "Considering that they're all still alive, there is hardly any need to further insult them. You really must work on your temper, Amazon, or else you will betray your comrades again and again."

The princess shot him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"During our last conversation, you revealed to me that your friends are very much alive and reside in Gotham for the time being. I assume this is due to the efforts of the witch, Zatanna."

Diana hesitated at that. She didn't remember telling him any of that, yet somehow he gleaned it out of her words. She wouldn't be making that same mis—

"It was your tense," he suddenly interrupted her musings. "You spoke of them in the present, as if they were alive. You didn't realize it at the time since you were caught up in defending their honor."

Why was he telling her this? So she would second guess her words? Cause her to pause when he began interrogating her again? The options were limitless at this point. In that case, the Amazon needed to turn the tables on him. "I met your 'Master'," she retorted then.

"Did you?" Batman actually sounded surprised to her, much to her satisfaction. "For what reason would he honor your with his presence?"

"Oh, you know, some chit-chat, talk of world domination. The usual."

He sounded skeptical as he asked, "He told you of his plan?"

Diana shrugged her shoulders. "Of course, since apparently I will not be leaving this facility alive." She then leveled her gaze at him, daring him to contradict her next words. "He's insane."

Whatever reaction she was hoping for, she didn't get much to her disappointment. Calmly, he replied, "If that's how you feel. Lesser men have been killed over less than that."

Anger exploded inside the Amazon. "And what of the millions of people he intends to kill? For what? Merely living their lives the best they can, no fault of their own that they somehow slighted your so-called Master?"

That seemed to catch the man off-guard. "What are you talking about?"

Diana felt stunned at this admission. Did he not know what Ra's was planning? No, of course he did. He was playing games with her again. "The bombs over the Lazarus Pits, I know about them. How he intends on using them to wash mankind away."

Batman stared at her before she fell under the impression that he was rolling his eyes at her. Don't ask her how she knew that. "That isn't the plan," he rebutted her. "The bombs are a fail-safe option should the world powers attempt to bluff us. The bombs won't go off so long as every country accepts the Master's ideals and quits destroying the planet."

Seriously? Ransoming the planet? That's what he thought this was all about? Perhaps Ra's had given him too much credit concerning his intelligence. "How naive of you," she drolled. "Use your head—if you went to the expense of placing bombs at as many pits as possible, would you not intend to use them?"

"Not if they were a deterrent," he shot back irritatedly.

"Whoever said they would be a deterrent," Diana countered.

That caused Batman to pause. Seeing this, Diana pressed on with her sudden edge. "Whether you admit it or not, you're being used. I may not understand whatever debt you believe you own this master of yours, but it should not come before the lives of people."

His jaw tightened at this. "People die everyday. What difference would a few more make?"

"You do not believe that."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

Diana tilted her head back haughtily. "If killing meant as little to you as you have just claimed, then you would have ended me at Etemenanki instead of leaving me to die. The same for my comrades. Yet, we are still standing, not by the grace of the Gods or good fortune, but by your stilled hand." She then softened voice. "I can see you are a man that does not kill indiscriminately. Somewhere within you is a person that values life—that is not a weakness, whatever else you've been told."

Staring him down, Diana sought some sign that her words were reaching him. As far as she was concerned, this was her best chance of being set free. She just had to make sure this fallen hero sided with her.

"You're certain about this?" Batman asked, much to her relief. "The Master intends on unleashing the pits?"

"He told me himself that is what he intends to do."

There was silence before the black-clad man spun around and walked to the door, much to Diana's dismay. "I'll be back," he grunted before leaving the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

_Damn it._

The princess had thought she was reaching him. Maybe she had, but her predicament remained the same. In her frustration, she jerked at her restraints, once more having her efforts wasted.

However, she wasn't by herself for much longer before the door reopened, Batman returning much to her surprise. Once he had closed the door behind him, he moved an arm out from under his cloak and tossed something to the floor. Looking at it, Diana was overjoyed to see her Lasso of Truth before her, lying on what appeared to be some sort of uniform.

"We don't have much time," Batman said as he approached her, pulling out a key from his belt. "As we speak, the Master is on his way to the Shifting City, Nanda Parbat. If he gets his hands on it, there's no telling what sort of damage he could do." As he placed the key in a lock, he paused. "Don't even try attacking me," he added, looking her in the eye.

"You have my word I will not strike you," Diana promised him.

With a twist, the restraint around her hand loosened and Diana pulled her arm down. Flexing her fingers she felt her strength returning to her. A moment later and her other hand was free, her legs following suit.

Before she could pull away though, Batman reached up took hold of the collar around her neck. Holding still, Diana waited impatiently before she heard a click and the blasted device came off, much to her joy. The violated feeling she had felt as she had been treated like an animal no longer gnawed at her insides. Stepping away from her, Batman gestured to the lasso and suit on the floor. "Put on the suit," he commanded her, causing Diana to raise an eyebrow at him. "You can't exactly sneak out of the compound, not without being seen."

Seeing his reasoning, Diana knelt down and picked up her lasso, attaching it back to its place at her hip. She then began dressing herself in the disguise, finding it fitting tightly around her. When she was finished, she found Batman holding out a pair of boots, gloves, and a mask. "I made sure to get you larger sizes to fit your costume in," he told her perfunctory.

As she began putting on the boots, the Amazon asked, "What is this Nanda Parbat?"

"A city out of legend," he answered her, watching her as she completed her dressing. "It is the site of the Secret Temple of Rama Kushna, a deity of great power and knowledge. It is said the goddess blessed the temple herself, leaving behind what is known as the Fountain of Life. Supposedly this fountain could stay the hand of death for all who bathed themselves in its waters."

"Why would your Master seek this place out?" Diana questioned him as she stood up, sliding on her gloves one by one. "He seems to have already found his own fountain, so to speak."

"I am not privy to that information." Batman paused to hold his hands out, a small device in his hand. "But the Shifting City is a place not easily found. The Master has been searching for this place for some time now. If you and your friends are going to stand a chance at stopping him, you'll need this."

The princess took the device, looking at it intently. "It's a GPS locator," the black-clad man explained. "Calibrated to locate a tracking device within three feet. I'll be wearing the tracer and head to Nanda Parbat. Use that to find me and I'll brief you on the situation."

Nodding, Diana placed the device in a pouch on her belt. "You are doing the right thing," she assured him.

"Say that to me after this is over," he retorted bluntly. He then turned away from her, marching over to the door. Seeing as this was the end of their conversation, Diana slid her mask over her face and followed him. Time was of the essence and she had to fly to Gotham as quickly as possible.

* * *

Thanks to the disguise, it took little effort to lead Wonder Woman through the complex, reaching one of the many entrances. Cool air hit the both of them as they exited into a cave. Still, that did not stop the Detective until they reached the cave's mouth, giving them a view of the Himalayan Mountains.

"I'm sure you know the rest of the way," he said to the Amazon, not bothering to look at her.

"I do," came her reply, slightly muffled by her mask. "You will see me again."

She was trying to be encouraging, but they did not have the time for that. Not with the Master set to leave for Nanda Parbat at any minute. "Go," he ordered her gruffly. "Before someone realizes you're gone."

With a nod, she lifted up into the air, gliding out into the air before pouring on some speed. The Detective watched her until she was nothing more than a dot at the horizon. Turning around, he made his way back to the complex's entrance.

This was a big risk he was taking, but he was sure it would be a gamble that paid off. Once he was successful at the Shifting City, he'd finish off the heroes then and there. If any of them managed to escape, he'd know exactly where they'd go, courtesy of the GPS locator. While it would trace him as he had told her, it also had a tracer installed inside it as well so he'd know exactly where she went to find her companions. Two birds, one stone as they say.

That just left him the issue of hitching a ride on one of the transport helicopters. He couldn't sneak aboard the one with the Master on it—he would know of the black-clad man's presence in midair and that would end his and Talia's plan before it began. The same with the Seven Men of Death.

Entering the facility, the Detective weaved his way through the halls and corridors, making his way to the hanger. If he knew the Master as well as he thought, there would be a team stationed at the entrance of Nanda Parbat, in case anyone managed to escape the temple. Escapees would be quickly apprehended and killed before they got too far. This would be the team he would have to infiltrate.

The Detective steeled his nerves; it was too late to back down now. Everything was in motion and the slightest slip up meant death. The reward was well worth it though, and he was determined to get it.


	22. Nanda Parbat

The wind screamed in her ears as Diana raced through the air. The landscape blurred beneath her, as the white and greys of the mountain range became the dull sands of the desert and eventually the blue waters of the sea. She could pick out the approach of another body of water and the extension of a coastline off to her right, the formation of a thin, boot-like peninsula.

There were still some things the Amazon did not understand. Though she knew what Ra's al Ghul was up to, there were still contradictions that she couldn't wrap her mind around. Ra's wanted to destroy the world using the very source of his own immortality and he spoke as if he were willing to sacrifice those very things. Yet, he was making an incursion on a mythical city with its own source of immortality, as if he were trading one fountain for another. Was he really making such a sacrifice as he claimed or was he merely doing this because he knew he had a backup in place?

Then there was his relationship with his daughter. He sounded proud of the fact she wanted him gone. Diana had fallen under the impression that this man was not someone who appreciated being trifled with and a usurpation was most definitely more than a trifle. And what would happen if his daughter failed? Would he hold himself back from ending her life for her attempt, or would he extinguish her light without hesitation. Unfortunately, she felt the latter was most probable.

Unconsciously, the Amazon poured on more speed, the landscape beneath her becoming water once more. The urgency impressed upon her by the Batman was making her worries grow with every passing second. It had been a boon that she had convinced him to release her, even if he suspected her to retaliate the moment she was freed. In truth, she had intended to until he had retrieved this suffocating disguise, becoming very apparent he knew what he was talking about and it would be best to follow his instructions.

For once, Diana was beginning to see just what sort of man this Batman had been, at least before his alleged death. They were just instances, few as they were, but it was very apparent his new persona, the Detective, was who he was now. It saddened her to think so after Zatanna's defense of him. Ra's al Ghul had done his best to forge a new weapon out of the remains of the former vigilante and had done too well of a job. As far as Diana was concerned, the Batman was no more.

Which meant he would have to be taken down when this was all over.

Finally, the Amazonian princess lost sight of all land, the last of the European peninsula fading behind her as she now flew over the Atlantic. By the graces of Hermes, she willed herself even faster. It was fortunate that she had the blessing of her gods while the Demon's Fang were limited by the capabilities of Man's technology. There were very few vehicles that could keep up with her and transport vehicles were notoriously slow. That should aid her as she went in the opposite direction of the enemy.

It took much longer than Diana wished for, but eventually she spotted land up ahead: the North American Continent. As quickly as she could, she angled towards Gotham, spotting the lights of the city, though dimed due to recent events. At least she was seeing lights—the others must've stopped the Joker while she was held in captivity.

Heading north, the Amazon took notice of a house resting on top of a cliff. She paid it little mind, but considering that it was roughly in the location of the Batcave entrances, Diana felt that that was Batman's former residence. In the interest of keeping her word to Zatanna, she would ignore it for now.

It wasn't all that hard to find the tunnel entrance to the cave. Racing through it, she soon entered the main cave and was quickly disappointed not to find any of the others. Damn, they must've left for some mission.

Gliding through the air as she slowed her speed, Diana soon touched down in front of the massive Batcomputer. Instead of trying to work the behemoth, the Amazon instead went to the drawer she had seen Zatanna open, finding another communicator device. Considering how many they had used since arriving here, she was slightly surprised to see two more left as she picked another out. Faintly she wondered just why Batman would have so many considering he didn't have many partners.

Tossing that thought aside, she reached a hand up and grabbed onto her mask on top of her head, pulling it off as the cool air of the cave greeted her heated skin. Placing the communicator earpiece into her ear, she activated it and began to hail her companions. "This is Diana, please respond."

* * *

Zatanna was getting sick real quick about construction sites. Seriously, what was the appeal? They were empty shells that didn't serve much purpose aside from creating jobs for the construction industry. Yet, bad guys flocked to these places like kids to a candy story. At least she thought that's what kids flocked to; it was when she was a kid, but maybe that had changed.

Of course, the site she and the Martian Manhunter were spying on just happened to be outside the city limits of some Midwest town she didn't care to know about. It was strangely similar to the one outside of Gotham, or so J'onn told her since she hadn't gone to that one and he had. A large sign proclaiming the site was being developed by the Head Development Corporation sat outside a chain link fence with barbed wire lining its top and several warnings of trespassers being shot on sight.

Currently, the two were hiding out on a ridge overlooking the area. Considering the view they had, Zatanna had to wonder just why this wasn't guarded. J'onn didn't seem all that concerned about it, so she wasn't going to worry about it either—though she would keep an eye out. You could never be too safe.

There was more to this place to be sure. Currently J'onn was doing a mental sweep with his telepathy powers, his eyes glowing orange as he concentrated. After viewing the final untitled video file, their group had conferred and decided they needed to investigate these other Head sites, with Superman, J'onn, and Stewart leading the teams. That was mostly because they could do reconnaissance without having to actually search the entire area. Zatanna had to question Stewart's selection mostly because she could at least magick up a scrying spell if need be, but hey, she wasn't in charge and she wasn't looking forward to teaming up with the Lantern. Instead she pulled J'onn and couldn't be happier.

Suddenly, J'onn's eyes dimmed. "I sensed several minds still in the construction site," the Martian informed her. "All of them belong to the Society of Assassins."

"Guards?" the magician asked.

"Among other things." J'onn pointed to the site. "I was able to pick up their thoughts to an underground complex. The entrance is in what would be the East Wing."

"I guess we need to go investigate," Zatanna summed up. "So, is this the part where we get into a fight or do we sneak around like Super Spies?"

The corner of the Martian's mouth twitched up. Aha! So he could enjoy a joke! The dark-haired woman had been starting to wonder if the guy had any sense of humor, or was just dull to begin with. He was a nice guy, don't get her wrong, but it does a girl good to know someone thinks they're funny. Sometimes.

"Actually, I may have another option," J'onn replied, his eyes glowing again. He was like that for several seconds, nowhere near as long as the first time before the glow died.

"So what'd you do?" she asked curiously.

"I rendered them unconscious through mental persuasion," he answered her. "All guards are incapacitated."

Zatanna blinked at that. She didn't know J'onn could do that. Kinda handy actually. "You're a man of many talents, J'onn," she complimented him. "If you ever need a job, you're welcome to join my troupe."

"I'll keep that in mind," the Martian said warmly.

"So I take it that isn't something all that hard for you."

"Indeed. I did the same to all the patrols that were closing in on us."

So that's why J'onn was so unconcerned; he really thought of everything. "Alright, I think it's my turn to do us some good," she said as she looked to the site. "East Wing, right?"

"Yes."

"Tropelet su ot tsae gniw," the dark-haired woman chanted and with a puff of smoke, she and J'onn appeared inside the construction site, surrounded by pallets of construction supplies, equipment and the like. Looking around, Zatanna was trying to find something that would lead them to one of those pit things Superman and Stewart talked about.

That proved pointless as J'onn walked right to a pallet and lifted it up with both hands, revealing a set of steel doors built into the cement foundation. "Here is our entrance," he declared simply.

"Not much of a hiding place," the magician commented as she walked over, placing a hand on her hip. All the while, J'onn set down the pallet and moved to open a door, jerking once to discover it was locked. Before the Martian could react to it, Zatanna leapt at the chance for her second trick. "kcolnu."

A creaking sound was made, J'onn pausing for a second before pulling again, this time successfully opening the door. Giving him a winsome smile, Zatanna approached the entrance and was just about to step down on a stone step when she stopped. Staring into the darkness below her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of danger down there.

"Tell me, J'onn, you feeling that?" she asked nervously, eyeing the Martian.

"I do feel a sense of discomfort," he admitted, looking down into the darkness.

"Oh good, then it isn't just me." There was a moment of silence between them before Zatanna asked, "Are you sure we need to go down there?"

"It would be wise. Unless we confirm our suspicions, then they will remain just that."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

Turning her head away, the dark-haired woman sucked in a deep breath before releasing it. Well, it was now or never. Reluctantly, she took another step down and then another. J'onn followed silently behind her until the two of them disappeared into the darkness. Stopping, Zatanna felt it was dumb to go any further, especially on a dark staircase she couldn't see the bottom of. Quickly, pulling her wand out, she whispered a spell so that the tip lit up and provided her and her partner some light.

The stairs were made of stone bricks, just as she seen at the top. The walls looked like they belonged in a cave though, rough and jagged at points. Either the cutters didn't really care what the walls and ceiling looked like, or this was naturally formed.

Continuing on, Zatanna and J'onn soon reached the bottom, seeing a corridor that led to a doorway, a steel door shut tight. Calling upon her magic, whatever locks were there were easily undone and the door swinging open for them invitingly.

That was when a nasty odor assaulted the magician's nose, causing her to wrinkle it and shoved her hand against her face. "Ugh! What's that smell?!" she exclaimed.

"I believe that's the same liquid Superman and Green Lantern retrieved," J'onn responded, standing their stoically as if the smell didn't bother him. Maybe it didn't and for that the dark-haired woman was jealous. "If you wish, I'll go confirm it," the Martian suggested, much to Zatanna's relief. Who cared if he read her mind on that, she just really didn't want to go in there. Giving him an affirmative nod, J'onn then moved passed her before disappearing through the doorway.

It took a few minutes before J'onn returned, the door shutting behind him. "Our assumption proved correct," he informed her.

"Great, terrific," Zatanna replied, her voice altered do to her pinching her nose shut. It really wasn't helping matters and had the effect of making her sounded stuffed up. "Let's get out of here." Spinning around, the magician quickly hurried up the stairs, J'onn behind her she assumed. Once they reached surface level, the dark-haired woman let out the breath she'd been holding, sucking it nice, clean air.

"Thank God," she gasped as she breathed heavily, the Martian coming to a stop next to her. Once she felt better—though she swore that stench was stuck in her nostrils for all of time—she finally asked, "So what now?"

Zatanna supposed they should check in with the others to see if the other Head locations had their own hidden room of noxious-smelling green crap. Chances were that was the most likely case. That thought was shoved aside though, when an unexpected voice sounded off in her ear.

"_This is Diana, please respond."_

Looking at J'onn alarmed, who returned her astonished look with one of his own, Zatanna shot a hand up to her communicator and responded, "Diana? Where are you?"

Immediately, she heard the Amazon answer her warmly, "_I've just arrived at the Batcave." _ Then her voice went serious. "_I need everyone to return to the cave immediately. There is a situation."_

Unsure of how to take that, the magician just replied, "We'll be back in a jiffy then." Dropping her hand, she returned her attention to the Martian. "Any idea what that was about?"

"I do not," J'onn responded. "But I did sense there was some urgency."

Great, when was there not an urgent matter? When this was all over, Zatanna was so done with this hero crap. "Nruter ot evac," she chanted then, once more seeing her rose-colored smoke whisk her and her friend back to the Batcave. Once the smoke cleared, they were standing near the Batcomputer, Diana looking at them from over her shoulder. Thankfully she looked alright, though for some reason she was wearing one of those ninja get-ups.

"Good to see ya, Diana," Zatanna greeted her, giving the Amazon a wave.

"Where are the others?" the taller woman immediately asked.

"All over the country. We were checking out leads on that assassin group and found this really funky stuff."

Diana nodded her head as if she knew what she was talking about. "You mean the Lazarus Pits."

_Those things have names?_ Zatanna mentally shook her head. Of course they had names, but did they have to have to be mysterious sounding? "I guess so. Mind telling us why you decided to play dress-up as a ninja?"

"Not until the others arrive," the Amazon answered with a shake of her head. "They are on their way, but—"

"You need them here now?" Okay, this was starting to sound bad. Upon seeing the taller woman nod her head, Zatanna felt that whatever this news was, it was bad. "I guess I could try transporting them here, but then it's naptime. I haven't done something like this before."

Ignoring the other two then, Zatanna began summoning her mystical energies. Picturing the others, one by one and then all together, she held them firmly in her mind as she began channeling her energies towards them. While a teleportation spell wasn't the most difficult spell around, the dark-haired woman was having to summon many different subjects in different locations; this required more magic than normal, not to mention stretching her concentration to her limits. "Nruter lla seoreh ot eht evac!"

An even bigger explosion of smoke erupted in the cave and four people came flying out of it. Well, make that three fliers and one runner. Regardless, the fliers suddenly pulled up in surprise while Flash shouted, "Whoa!" before darting off to his right, then made another around, and then another before he slowed to a stop right next to Zatanna.

"Don't!" he shouted at her as he stuck a finger in her face before dropping his voice to a more calmer one, "do that again. I could've hurt myself, ya know!"

Zatanna slumped her shoulders. Damn, that took a lot out of her. Yeah, she wasn't going to do that again for awhile. Still, she could've done without the reprimand.

Thankfully, Diana stood up for her. "I asked her to do it, Flash. There's—"

Suddenly, a red blur dashed away from the magician, wind pulling at her clothes as Flash shot to the Amazon, stopping in front of her and grabbing the taller woman by the shoulders. "Wondy! You're back! And in one piece! Thank the Lord for small mercies!"

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Zatanna grumbled as she adjusted her clothes.

Superman then entered the conversation, touching down near the red-clad man and Amazonian. "We're glad you're okay, Diana, but what happened? Where were you? And why are you dressed like that?"

The Amazon glanced down at herself for a moment before stepping out of Flash's grasp, reaching up with her hands and grabbing her bodysuit. With a sharp pull, she ripped the garb off of her, revealing her usual outfit in all of its red, gold, and blue glory.

"I've been dreaming about this for I don't know how long," Flash said in awe.

"I'll explain on the way," Diana said, ignoring the red-clad man's comment. "We need to be in the air, now."

Seeing her seriousness, Superman nodded and said, "Lead the way."

It was then that Zatanna noticed a slight problem: namely that she couldn't fly. Sure, she could use her magic, but she wasn't looking forward to that, what with her feeling drained right now. However, before she could voice her concern, a green light suddenly covered her, causing her to look to Stewart. The Lantern was shining his light down on her and Flash before turning towards the Batmobile tunnel and flying. The next thing the magician knew, she was also flying through the air, all the while still standing on her feet.

Well, that was one way to travel.

It no time, their little group was flying over the ocean, heading...well, to the other side. All the while, Diana began explaining what was so important.

"Until recently, I was being held captive by the Demon's Fang," she began. "That is the group we've been facing the entire time."

"Not the Society of Assassins?" Stewart questioned.

"They are just one of many groups," she answered him. "The same as the League and Order of Assassins."

"Red Herrings," Hawkgirl groused unhappily.

"During my captivity, I was able to learn of their plan from the leader himself, Ra's al Ghul. He plans to use the Lazarus Pits you have been looking into and dropping bombs into them. When the bombs go off, they would cause the Lazarus to overflow and wash over the Earth."

"Wouldn't that be a bad thing though?" Flash was quick to point out. "I mean, the computer said there was some bad mojo in that stuff."

"I think that's the idea, Flash," Superman said. "Apparently this Ra's al Ghul wants to kill as many people as possible."

"So we're going to stop him, right? Wondy here is taking us to the big bad guy's place."

Diana shook her head. "Not exactly. Ra's has left his compound and is heading to the Shifting City, Nanda Parbat. He seeks the Fountain of Life hidden there to prolong his life, or so I'm told."

"So it's a dying baddie," Flash quipped. "Can't see how this'll be hard."

Zatanna was inclined to agree. Still, if Diana felt this was a bad thing, then it most probably was. Looking at the Amazon, she noticed the woman holding something in her hand, which she seemed to be looking at intently.

"So, mind telling us how you got out of jail?" Hawkgirl inquired then. "I kinda doubt you were able to tunnel out with a spoon."

Diana cast the winged woman a frowned stare. "Of course not. That would be highly inefficient and implausible."

"Guess Wondy doesn't watch too many Saturday Morning Cartoons," Flash whispered to Zatanna then.

The magician shrugged her shoulders. "Guess not either."

The Amazonian princess continued her answer though, oblivious to the short exchange. "I had assistance in escaping. He provided me with my disguise and led me out of the complex. Right now we are going to meet him at Nanda Parbat."

"And you know where this place is?" Stewart prompted.

That's when Diana held out the thing she was holding. "This device is tracing his location. Currently he is on the move, but we will rendezvous with him outside of the city."

"Interesting plan," Hawkgirl commented. "Mind telling us who your mystery helper is?"

There was just a glance to Zatanna, the only warning she got, before the Amazon answered, "It was Batman. I believe he was misled by Ra's al Ghul and seems to be having second thoughts."

Zatanna just swallowed at that. Sure, she wanted to believe that this was another sign of Bruce fighting his way out, but a look at the others showed they weren't as easily swayed. Best to keep her reaction to just that while her heart beat furiously in her chest.

As if to prove her point, Stewart immediately responded with, "Are you sure he was helping you? This could all be another trap."

That made Diana hesitate and Zatanna could see the Amazon hadn't even considered that option. Whatever her reply though, the magician didn't hear it as she sank into her own thoughts. Of course this could be a trap, hadn't the tower proven that? But there was still the possibility that this was genuine. She wanted to hang onto that choice because out of all of them, it was the most favorable. And perhaps this would be her chance to fulfill her promise to Alfred.

She'd have to make sure about that.

* * *

The helicopter began its descent, landing gently on the ground. Immediately, the side door slid open and the men around Ra's al Ghul leapt out. Biding his time, he waited for Ubu to inform him of what he already knew. "Master, we have seized the temple."

"Very good Ubu," he thanked before taking his turn to disembark the helicopter. Feet touching down on the dirt, the Demon's Head leveled his gaze at the Buddhist architecture, feeling a sense of serenity at the sight. Had it not been for the rising flames and pillars of smoke on a few of the damaged buildings, he would've felt right at home.

Off to his left he noticed scores of Buddhist monks prostrating themselves on the ground in their orange robes, all of their eyes closed as they prayed to their deity. Looking away, Ra's took note of some of his men waiting for his command.

"Has the Fountain of Life been found?" he asked.

One knelt before him, head bowed. "It has," the man answered him. "I will guide the Master to it."

Merely watching, Ra's followed his assassin with his eyes, seeing the man standing up and beginning to head towards one of the temples. Following him, a few more assassins gathered around the Demon's Head, forming a protective ring with Ubu walking to his right and slightly behind. Climbing a small set of stone stairs, they entered the temple, walking through a corridor of wood and paper walls. Ignoring it, Ra's continued to follow his guide as they reached a set of sliding doors, the guide opening them and standing to a side.

Passing through the threshold, Ra's soon found himself standing at the top of a stone staircase, a stone patio extending out at its base and forming a border with the natural brown dirt. A few more of his men stood on the dirt, a small group of monks kneeling and praying before them.

However, whatever image of the Fountain of Life Ra's had was push aside as he saw hundreds of ponds before him, separated with short paths overgrown with vegetation. Some of the ponds possessed clear waters while others had moss-covered rocks extending out of them, or algae covering their surfaces. A few had reeds growing out of them, while a few others had thin trees.

"What is this?" Ra's growled menacingly.

The guide at his side immediately answered, "This is where the monks led us. The Fountain of Life is all of these ponds, yet only one grants everlasting life. Even the monks do not—"

In a flash, the Demon's Head drew his saber out of its sheath on his belt, his arm tossing aside his green cloak. In a flash, his steel blade bit into flesh, slicing open the guide's throat and sending blood spewing out of his wound. The man collapsed to the ground, hands grasping at his throat as he tried in vain to stop the endless blood flow, eventually going limp from blood loss.

With a quick shake, Ra's threw off the blood coating his sword, a line of red splashing upon the ground. Sheathing his sword, he then descended the stairs, approaching the monks as they remained kneeling.

"I am only going to ask this once," Ra's stated, causing the monks to look up at him. "Which is the Fountain of Youth, the pool that grants immortality?"

One of the monks answered him, "Only the worthy may find the Fountain as deigned by Rama Kushna. Choose at your own peril, Demon, as those deemed unworthy will burn from their insolence."

The Demon's Head narrowed his eyes. "Very well. Bring him." Turning away, Ra's approached the nearest pool, one partially covered in algae and had a tree emerging from its depths. Behind him, two of his men seized the monk and forced him to the pool. "If it is as you say, then Rama Kushna would spare one of her own worshipers. After all, who would be more worthy than the goddess' own priest?"

The monk did not react to the words, instead looking him in the eye serenely. "Even if I am struck down, my eternal soul will be preserved. I have prepared for this day for many years and am prepared to accept my fate."

"Then accept it," Ra's said, "and show me the Fountain."

Without hesitation, his assassins threw the monk into the pond, water splashing high into the air. Seconds passed by as Ra's watched, waiting for the monk to re-emerged.

Much to his surprise, blue flame suddenly erupted from the waters, causing him to step back in astonishment. The heat was terrible and did not seem to wish to die down as the fire raged. Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the blue fire vanished, ripples the only thing that showed the waters had been disturbed.

Ra's clenched his fist tightly. So, even the priests were not worthy of Rama Kushna's legacy. So be it, if he had to search each and every pool, he would do so in order to find the Fountain. One of these pools had to be it, no matter what the monks said.

"Ubu," he called out. "I will be needing more volunteers."


	23. The Seven Men Of Death

A cold, frozen breeze nipped at the Detective, causing his cape to flutter in the wind. He stood on a mountainside, overlooking the large stone gate that led to Nanda Parbat and the glows of fire beyond its entrance.

It had been a simple chore to stash himself on a helicopter, a little more difficult to slip away without alerting the rest of the men to his presence while not leaving a trail of footprints in the freshly-fallen snow. But he had been trained by the best and he was now alone with no one the wiser to his location.

Raising a hand up, he checked the screen of his GPS locator device, taking note that its corresponding tracer was closing in on him. He had to give the Amazon one thing, she was was quick to rally her companions. They had just entered the mountain range and would be here in minutes.

Turning off his device, he slipped it into a pouch on his belt. Taking in a deep breath, he let out a cloud of steam, feeling its warmth tickle his mouth and chin. His reinforcements would be arriving any minute now, coming up on him from behind. Mentally, he began running over his plan. It wouldn't be too difficult to get the fireworks going and the heat of battle would provide him plenty of cover to move freely.

He heard disruptions in the wind, signifying their arrival. The crunching of snow filled his ear as he counted one, two, three, five, seven sets of feet land. Hmm, so they all flew here...interesting.

Not bothering to acknowledged them with a look as he felt his cloak being tugged to a side by the wind, he merely called out, "You came."

The Amazon was the one to answer. "As I said I would." More snow crunching was made and the tall woman appeared in the corner of his eye, looking down at the gate of Nanda Parbat. "How long has the attack been going?"

"It finished awhile ago," he replied gruffly. "The priesthood offered very little resistance during the initial siege, but that was to be expected. The Master's men have assembled them in the plaza and have been bringing small groups somewhere within one of the temples."

That was when he heard someone else move. "Before we go any further," a stern voice stated, the one he recognized as belonging to the Green Lantern. "We have a trust issue that has to be resolved. You've already attacked us all once—what makes you think we're willing to help you now?"

The tough guy stance—that made the Detective smirk. He knew how to deal with those types. "Because a lot of people will die if you don't and while we may not be the 'best of friends,' you and I both know that you won't risk not preventing a possible death."

Finally, he turned around to face the rest of the heroes, seeing them all looking at him with looks of mistrust. All except for the witch, oddly enough. She didn't seem the least bit concerned or put out with him. That was something worthy of notice. Drinking in the sight as the breeze ended and his cloak fell back down to hang from his shoulders, he weighted his next words carefully. The wrong statement here could derail everything.

Focusing right on the Lantern, who was scowling at him, the Detective kept his cool detachment and continued. "I'm sure you could go down there and give it your best shot, but these are not stupid people like the criminals you're used to dealing with. The Demon's Head has lived for centuries, teaching some of your world's greatest minds and tacticians the art of war. It was this intelligence that bested you when we first met, not any superior strength or skill. So, if you're willing to go bumbling in down there, be my guest. All you'll do is get exposed to more of that gas I developed and I don't need to remind you just how effective that was."

"So we can expect to see more of those countermeasures," the Lantern spat out. "I knew this was a trap."

"The moment I captured the Amazon was the moment all of the Master's men began carrying them," the Detective retorted. "If you wanted the element of surprise, that was most definitely not the way to go about getting it."

"As amusing as this pissing contest is," the winged woman, Hawkgirl, interjected then, "there are more pressing matters at hand. I may not like you one bit, but you know the situation here better than anyone here and I'd rather go in knowing what I'm up against."

_So they can learn. Promising._ The black-clad man regarded the alien, giving her a nod before turning back around to look at the Shifting City. "As I mentioned, Nanda Parbat belongs to the Demon, there is no mistaking that. He probably has already found the Fountain of Life and is fortifying his position there."

"Your plan of attack?" the Amazon asked.

"Considering your skills and...temperaments, the first objective would be to free the priesthood while disabling the transport helicopters. Those will provide diversions to the Demon's Fang, allowing a team to go right for the Demon's Head. The sooner he's incapacitated, the sooner this ends."

"So three teams," Lantern summed up. "Who are the teams?"

The black-clad man had been thinking about that throughout the meeting and he felt he had the right groups in mind. "Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman will destroy the helicopters. I don't care how you do it, just make sure none of them can fly."

He could practically hear the approving tone in the winged woman's voice as she said, "I like this plan."

"You would," Flash replied warily. "How about the rest of us men-types?" A pause. "And very lovely magic lady."

This was where he was having a problem, mostly regarding the Martian. Of all of them, he provided the biggest risk. He probably was attempting to read his mind to ensure his sincerity, though the alien would find it difficult considering the mental damper the black-clad man had built into his helmet. The lack of access to his mind was already a tip off and placing the Martian as far away from him as possible would be another red flag. Yet, he couldn't have the alien with him either.

But what choice did he really have?

"Flash, Lantern, and the…" he paused as he caught Wonder Woman's disproving look at him. No need to rock the boat, so to speak, with these people. "Zatanna," he quickly corrected, "will take out the guards and get the monks to safety. Once done, their next objective will be to keep the rest of the Demon's Fang occupied."

"Which leaves me and J'onn with you," Superman spoke up. "Seems like an awful lot of muscle for a dying man."

And these people wondered why he had defeated them so easily. "The Master is the least of your concerns."

He could hear the skepticism in the Kryptonian's voice as he replied, "And why is that?"

Once more, the Detective turned back to face the heroes. "The Master has brought with him the Seven Men of Death, his—"

"Seven Men of Death," Flash suddenly snorted. "Sorry, but that sounds like a bad Kung Fu movie."

The Detective stared down the red-clad man, his jaw tightening as he bore his eyes into him. The Flash seemed to back down from his gaze, the others starting to look uncomfortable. "As I was saying," he gritted out, "they're his elite guard. They only handle missions the Master has deemed of utmost importance and nothing else. Their identities and capabilities are closely guarded secrets that only the Master is privy to."

"So we're going in blind if they're down there," Lantern said, arms crossing over his chest. "And potentially with measures to exploit our weak points."

The Detective was hesitant, but ultimately replied, "Possibly. Any one of these men are capable of taking out any of the Fangs single-handedly, so it's questionable if they even need my countermeasures. To put that into perspective, I haven't been able to do that."

"And you managed to beat all of us," Hawkgirl added, speaking out loud his silent connotation. "So much for handling 'one dying man.'"

"So how do we do this?" Flash asked. "I doubt we can just go up to the front door and knock."

The Detective gave a small smirk. "You people wanted the element of surprise and I have one for you. We attack from the air."

* * *

"You think this plan'll work?"

Diana looked over to Hawkgirl as the two women flew over Nanda Parbat. From here she had the perfect vantage point of seeing all of the Demon's Fang organizing themselves, forming patrols and standing guard about the place. There was an area where several helicopters sat, masked men performing maintenance on the vehicles.

"It seems adequate," the Amazon answered. "The Batman obviously thought this through."

"Thinking something through and having it put into action are two different things, Princess," the winged woman replied. "Don't you find it curious the people he assigned to his group? He wants to sneak up on this Raz guy, but he chooses Superman of all people to go with him."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes. "Superman is a brawler, sort of like us. He'd be a better choice in a full frontal attack and not a stealth team."

"So who would you pick to go with him?" Diana asked curiously.

"Well, J'onn was a good pick and I'd probably go with Zatanna. She doesn't exactly have the firepower, despite her magic, to keep up with us. She pretty much exhausted herself when she teleported everyone to the Batcave, remember?"

The more they talked about it, the more Diana found herself questioning this strategy of theirs. It had sounded good when she first heard it, but now that her fellow Sister was poking holes in it, she was beginning to reconsider.

After only receiving silence, Hawkgirl carried on. "Well, it's too late to back down now. We're the ones that are starting this fight and we might as well get on with it."

The Amazonian princess shot her fellow Sister a smirk. "You sound ready."

Hawkgirl returned the look. "I'm always ready to smash something. Bet you I'll destroy more helicopters than you."

"You're on."

Simultaneously, the two women dropped out the sky, falling towards the helicopters as they gained speed. Diana held both of her fists out in front of her, intending to smash the first copter she flew into. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hawkgirl pull out her mace, electricity beginning to spark and crackle around it.

The ground grew closer and closer until they were practically on top of their targets. Flipping around at the last second, Diana landed feet first on top of a helicopter, causing it to crumple beneath her like a crushed can. Sparks and fire bust out from beneath her, the sound of metal breaking ringing out into the air.

To her left, Hawkgirl let out a warcry, "Haaaaaaa!" just as she swooped in and slammed her mace into the side of a helicopter. The armored side cratered in the from the blow, the vehicle itself lifting off the ground before tipping over, falling onto its side loudly.

Leaping down to the ground herself, Diana grabbed the tail of her own ruined helicopter and hefted it up into the air. Planting her feet and twisting her body, the Amazon swung the damaged piece of metal and hardware, smashing it into a nearby helicopter.

A moment later, the familiar sound of machine gun fire reached Diana's ears, bullets whizzing by her head and body, pelting the ruined remains in front of her. Spinning around, the dark-haired woman shot her arms up, the world in front of her beginning to slow down. She could see the flying pieces of lead coming towards her, to which she moved one of her bracer-covered arms in front of them. Small jolts ran up and down her arms as she felt a couple bullets make contact with her bracers, bouncing them off harmlessly.

And as the world began to speed up, so did Diana, her arms waving in front of her in an intricate pattern, batting the bullets aside. She could hear ringing as the pieces of lead made contact and ricocheted away, creating a high-pitched beat that she found herself moving to.

"Haaaaaa!"

Shooting down from the sky, Hawkgirl swooped in, bashing her mace against one of the gunmen, taking them down one at a time as she swung left to right and right to left. The amount of gunfire immediately dropped, causing Diana to slow down somewhat. Eyeing the helicopter her Sister had down, the Amazon suddenly dashed to it, using it as cover to shield her from the bullets. Placing her hands against the hull, she began to push the downed vehicle, metal screeching against the ground. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of an intact helicopter and stopped her pushing.

Taking hold of her lasso, Diana whirled it over her head before casting it through the air, the loop flying around the helicopter's tail before tightening down. Grasping tightly on her lasso, the Amazon launched herself high into the air, pulling the helicopter up after her. Thank to Hawkgirl, most of the assassins were focused on her as she climbed and dove through the air.

Gritting her teeth, Diana pulled hard on her lasso, swinging her captive vehicle to a side and arcing it high above her head. Swinging her arms down, she swung the helicopter downward, releasing her lasso and sending the vehicle straight to the ground. The front slammed into the dirt, crumpling as assassins dove for cover. The helicopter stood that way for a few seconds before it leaned to a side, toppling over uselessly.

So far, it seemed like they had a good start.

* * *

"Well, I think your friend chose the right people for destroying unmanned helicopters—at least I hope they're unmanned," Flash commented. "Think they got everyone's attention?"

"Oh yeah, they definitely do," Stewart said, not giving Zatanna a chance for a quick retort, so she settled for rolling her eyes. She couldn't be the only one not participating in the conversation after all. "You guys ready to go?"

"I'm ready to rock n' rock, GL," the red-clad man answered, giving a mock salute. "Wish me luck."

In a red blur, Flash took off, racing down the side of the stone entrance to the ground. The moment he touched the dirt, he was dashing towards the large crowd of monks, surrounded at certain points by ninja guards.

While Diana and Hawkgirl had been floating about in the air, Zatanna and her group had settled down on one of the promenades of the entrance. Bruce and his group had taken off into the air as well, though where they currently were was anyone's guess. He had made it quite clear that he wanted to be on the ground by the time the attack had started—his reasoning had been a bit unclear unfortunately. Superman had even made the argument that they could find this Ra's guy easier by air, but he wouldn't hear of it.

"_The moment the Amazon and Thanagarian begin their attack, there's going to be a lot of eyes looking to the sky. While you may be able to survive a fall from two hundred feet up, I won't."_

Alright, so maybe there was some self-preservation going on there. She could understand that; yet, she felt Bruce was keeping something back, whatever that could be.

Eyes staring off the promenade, she saw Flash make contact with one of the guards. She wasn't sure what he did, but the guard was thrown off his feet as the red streak seemed to bounce right off of him, going right for another guard.

"Show time," Zatanna muttered as she held her hands out in front of her, Stewart glowing green and taking off into the air. "Stnalp dnib meht!"

Though the plaza area was mostly either dirt or stone, the magician had noticed potted plants all over the place. From where she stood, she spotted many of the plants sudden glow a violet color before bursting out of their pots. Creepily, they crawled over the ground, heading right to the fallen ninjas Flash had knocked down, which would be four at this point—that guy could work fast, ya know. Vines and roots grew thicker with every passing second until they wrapped around the men, tying up their arms and legs.

In the meantime, Stewart was high above the monks, extending his arms in front of him and firing a green beam of light. About halfway between the group and him, the beam stopped and began spreading out in all directions, curving down and forming a dome over the priests, separating them from the ninjas.

All the while, Flash kept at his job, knocking down each and every guard until they were lying in the dirt, waiting victims to Zatanna's magically-controlled plants. Soon they were all bound and no longer threats. Some of them were unconscious while others tried to struggle to no avail. Well, that was easy.

A loud cracking sound was then made and suddenly, the ground on which the monks sat on, looking oddly calm despite them being in a green bubble, lifted up into the air. Now came Stewart's next job, which was to get those priest out of here and to someplace safe. Everything was going according to plan.

With a snap of her fingers, a cloud of rose-colored smoke burst around her, disappearing a moment later with her standing next to Flash. While she preferred to channel her magic with her words, she was trying to get in the habit of using actions for her teleportation spells, what with a big fight breaking out. In fact, she probably didn't even need the words, but they helped focused her power; by using an action, she was getting into the habit of teleporting herself in case she had to make a sudden retreat quickly and without having to speak a word. If only Nimue could see her now.

"That's phase one down," the red-clad man said, hands on his hips and not looking the worse for wear. "So what's next?"

An explosion blew up somewhere behind them, causing the two to turn and look. Zatanna immediately noticed what appeared to be an army of ninjas running towards a battle zone, firing guns at a giant flying bird woman and supermodel. "I guess we go help them," she said.

"On it." And with a gust of wind, Flash shot off towards the army, getting to work in the blink of an eye.

Zatanna stared for a moment before she looked elsewhere. While she hated to do this, she had one other thing to do: namely hunt down Bruce and his group. If she could get to him, perhaps she could use her magic to jog his memory a little, assuming they had dealt with their job effectively.

Of course, the best laid plans rarely came to fruition. Before she could move, a blue glow began to color the area around her. Eyes widening, she dove to a side, roughly hitting the ground with a grunt. A split second later, the area she'd been standing on lit up with blue flames. Gazing at the blaze for a moment, Zatanna turned her attention away, looking for whatever had caused them.

Much to her chagrin, she said a man standing a long distance away, dressed in a blue robe and what appeared to be some glowing talisman hanging around his neck. He stared at her with piercing eyes, a tuff of hair on his mostly bald head and a small braided beard from his chin.

Suddenly, Zatanna had a bad feeling about this.

"I see you are a user of the mystic arts," the man said, staying where he stood. "The Detective's files don't mention a witch. Very curious."

Okay, seriously, that was getting old. First Bruce, now this guy. _Why _were all these people calling her a witch? She wasn't some old, wart-face prune of a woman with a pointy hat and a flying broomstick; she was a rather attractive young woman with a top hat, thank you very much. And no, she didn't have a broomstick—she flew first class when able.

As she pushed herself up, noting that there was a hole in her fishnet stockings, right on the knee, she called back, "Well, what can I say? A magician never tells their secrets and neither do I."

"Magician," the man snorted. "A charlatan that uses slight-of-hand tricks, nothing more."

Oh, so this was one of those high-and-mighty wizard guys. She really didn't like those guys. "Hey, it's a living," Zatanna snapped at him. "And who are you to talk, grandpa?"

If he was offended, he showed no outward sign. Instead, he decided to introduce him—how kind of him after, oh, trying to barbeque her a minute ago, the jerk. "I am Mordecai of the Seven Men of Death, servant of the Great Ra's al Ghul."

_Oh...crap…_

"And you are an insect that needs to be squashed!"

That was all the warming Zatanna got as the guy thrust out one of his hands, a sudden surge of magical energies assaulting her senses. The dark-haired woman just got up her magical shield when a huge force slammed down on top of her, causing the ground to break and crater around her feet. She sunk down, a violet-colored shield surrounding her on all sides, a dark blue glow coming from above her head.

Now that was just rude.

Pushing the force aside, the blue magic dissipating into thin air, Zatanna pointed a finger at Mordecai and chanted, "Tis nwod!"

Suddenly, the blue-robed man dropped backwards, landing on his backside, blinking his eyes bewilderingly before he snarled. Letting her shield dissipate, Zatanna crossed her arms over her chest, smirking at him smugly. "So, who's the charlatan now?"

Mordecai pushed himself up onto his feet, not bothering to dust himself off. "That would still be you. You missed your chance to defeat me, Witch, settling for a childish prank instead of a killing blow. I assure you that I will not be as merciful."

"Buddy, I hate to burst your bubble, but you're not the first mage I've fought, and I can assure you that you're the first person to fall for that spell. You may want to consider a career change."

Blue flames suddenly enveloped the man, his face twisted with rage. "I am the Great Mordecai of the Blue Flame! All who have faced me have perished, just as you will!"

"Talk is cheap; whiskey costs money."

With a thrust of his hands, Mordecai fired a torrent of blue fire at her. Snapping her fingers, Zatanna's whisked herself away, reappearing on a nearby building. She watched as fire charred the ground where she had stood before turning her attention to where she last saw Mordecai and prepared to launch a spell of her own.

Unfortunately, Mordecai wasn't there anymore.

"Dleihs!" she cried out, just as her vision was washed in blue fire. The shingles she stood on melted and crumbled away under the intense heat, Zatanna hanging on through the spell. Eyes closed tightly, the dark-haired woman frantically searched for her opponent's magical energies, finding a very large one off to her left. "Selgnihs ylf!" she called out, sending her own energies out. The fire died down a moment earlier, causing her to turn her head to in time to see dozens of shingles flying through the air, recently removed from the roof. "Wollof iacedrom!" she chanted, watching as the shingles suddenly took a turn flying towards a point somewhere behind her.

Eyes widening, the magician ducked down, arms covering her head as the pieces of ceramic flew over her head. She hissed as a couple pieces clipped her arms, but kept as still as she could. Soon, she heard the sound of breaking shingles, causing her to turn around to see Mordecai standing on the other end of the roof, a blue shield in front of him.

Oh, so he was going to do the defense thing too. Let's just see about that! "Foor edolpxe!" she shouted, hand pointed at the blue-robed man's feet. The planned blast erupted beneath him, throwing him high into the air with a cry. Cupping her hands in front of her, she aimed them at the airborne sorcerer and chanted, "Cigam tsalb ta iacedrom!" Instantly, a violet beam of magic fired from her hands, racing through the air and hitting Mordecai, an explosion erupting around him.

Alright, he had to be hurting after that. At least Zatanna hoped he did. Panting, the dark-haired woman tried to catch her breath, running her forearm over her sweet-covered forehead. She didn't usually use magic blasts because they took quite a bit of her energies; it was far easier to use the environment around her than to create something out of nothing.

As the smoke began to dissipate in the air, the magician noted that there was a distinct lack of Mordecai up there. That was a good thing, she hoped. _Alright, just focus on the big ball of magic in him and find where he's at._

Unfortunately, that's when she saw everything turn blue again. Even worse, she didn't have time to put up her shield again as a much bigger, very painful blue magic blast rammed into her back, picking her right off the roof she stood on and sending her flying off the building. She could feel the magic tearing at her back as it carried her through the air, heading right for the wall of one of the temples.

_Oh, this is gonna hurt._

* * *

A quick note: the "Talk is cheap" line Zatanna says is from my favor book series, the Amber Series. There was a similar scene where a demon was bragging about how he was going to painfully kill the main character and he tossed that line out much like Zatanna did. Pretty fitting if I don't say so myself.

Also, Mordecai is a original character, as far as I know. When coming up with the Seven Men of Death, I needed to...spruce them up a bit since they are going up against the Justice League. While the comic versions are perfect for non-powered heroes, it would take some extenuating circumstances for them to be legit threats to Superman and the like. That isn't to say they're all metas, but I think I came up with some rather intriguing match-ups, some from the comics and others that had to be willed into existence. Hope y'all enjoy them.


	24. Nausea, Fire, Electricity, Oh My!

Blue light caught the corner of Diana's eye, causing her to divert her attention. Over by a gaping hole in the ground, blue fire scorched the earth, leaving it charred in its wake. Focusing her eyes, she tried to see what the source was, seeing nothing that could've explained it.

Then, bizarrely enough, what appeared to be clay shingles flew through the air in some sort of formation before veering to a side and heading back the way they came. It was then that the Amazon caught sight of Zatanna, kneeling on the roof of one of the temples, arms covering her head. She must've been under attack!

However, before she could go render her aid, a gunshot caught her ear, causing her to spin around, arm up and blocking a bullet that had been racing to the back of her head. She felt the bullet clash against her arm before it shot off into the ground, the piece of lead embedding into the dirt. Looking for the source of the shot, the Amazon found some distance away stood a blond man in some sort of grey uniform, one arm behind his back as the other held a gun, pointing it right at her.

"Remarkable," the man commented in what sounded like a German accent, lowering his arm and holstering his gun. "I had heard of your quick reflexes, but I did not realize just how quick they vere."

Diana gave the man a once-over, noting the black cape that flapped in the breeze and the eye patch he wore over his left eye. Oddly enough, there appeared to be a green circle in the middle of the patch, though for what purpose she didn't know. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"My, my, vhere are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself: I am the Count Vertigo, one of the Seven Men of Death."

So this was one of Ra's elite assassins. She didn't need the Batman's voice in the back of her head warning her that there was more to this man. She just needed to figure out what that was so she could evade or crush it. "So you are a Man of Death," she said, keeping her guard up as she turned to fulling face the Count. "I will say this only once: give yourself up and no harm will come to you."

Vertigo shook his head. "I believe that vill not be happening, Amazon. One does not reach my position by surrendering in the face of an enemy. As regretful as I am, we must do mortal combat. I promise not to damage your stunning beauty as much as possible."

"We'll see who damages who," Diana retorted as she reached to her hip for her lasso, finding it missing. Flicking her gaze down, she immediately saw that her lasso was most definitely not where it should be. It only occurred to her a moment later that she had left it in the wreckage of one of the helicopters after she had thrown one. It was unfortunate, but not necessary for this fight.

So, if her lasso was not an option, hand-to-hand combat would be her choice. Launching herself off the ground, she flew at the Count, arms raised and ready to deliver a beating.

It was then the green area of his patch began to change, a thin swirl appearing within it. That was when an overwhelming sense of nausea hit the Amazon, causing her to slow her flight until she landed on her feet, take a step forward before she found herself holding her stomach as the urge to vomit welled up inside of her.

As if to add to her ill feeling, her eyes began to play tricks on her, the blond-haired man seeing to spin in front of her, turning a full ninety degree angle as he began to move until he was standing upside-down. In fact, everything around her seemed to be spinning too, increasing her nausea.

"Vhat is vrong, Vonder Voman? You do not seem vell," Vertigo taunted her, a small smile appearing on his face.

All of a sudden, the world began to shift back to normal, the nausea retreating from whence it came. Though surprise, Diana straightened out her posture, feeling a little better. The swirl on the man's patch was gone, she was quick to note, and she was beginning to think that had something to do with what had just happened.

"You're doing something to me," the Amazonian princess spat out, glaring at her opponent. "I assure you, it will not help you."

"Oh, but you are mistaken, Vonder Voman; it already has."

And then the swirl reappeared and Diana was assaulted with that sickening feeling all over again. She couldn't help but fall to her knees, her hands pressing down on the ground to help steady her. "Even now, your sense of balance is lost. You cannot tell up from down, left from right, the sky from the ground. Your senses tell you that all is vrong and it is making you feel very ill."

As if his words were a cue, Diana felt as if the ground was above her and somehow she was sticking to it, hanging upside down. That did nothing to help the ill feeling she felt—in fact, it made her want to—

And then a flood of vomit and stomach fluids flooded up her throat and spewed out of her mouth. A spatter formed between her hands, soaking into the dirt. That did not make her feel better at all.

However, no matter how bad she felt, she could recognize the sound of a sword scraping against the sides of its scabbard as it was pulled out. Slowly raising her head, she saw Vertigo holding a blade which curved towards its point in his black-gloved hand. With a confident stride, he approached her albeit from a ninety degree angle to the ground. He said no words, no taunts forthcoming; instead he raised his blade up in front of him and sent it slicing towards her. Due to the way he stood, it looked as if the weapon were flying at her from the ground up.

Instinctively, Diana shot an arm up to block the blow, only to be surprised as she felt steel bit into her upper forearm, sending a searing pain through her arm. Hissing, she backed away, falling onto her backside embarrassingly as her other hand went up to grab at her injured arm.

Vertigo gave her no time to recover as he sent a thrust right for her head. Quickly, she rolled to a side, feeling the breeze of the passing sword point on her back. On one hand and her knees, Diana pushed off using her flying ability to glide over the ground quickly. Maneuvering around despite how sick each move made her feel, the Amazon saw Vertigo giving chase, running after her with his sword held out from him at shoulder height. Of course, he was upside-down at the moment and her flight robbed her of any sense of where the ground was.

Getting her legs beneath her, Diana pushed them down in hope of feeling the ground, her red boots touching earth. Coiling up, she then launched herself at the charging Count, hoping her sudden change in tactic would catch the man off-guard. In response, Vertigo jumped to a side, the Amazon flying harmlessly by him. Unfortunately, going by unscathed was not shared with her as she felt his blade cut into her back, causing her to cry out as she sent flying out of control until she hit the ground, skidding across it.

Hissing again, Diana ignored the pain she felt, though she did not like the fact that she had been struck in the back. No one had been able to do that to her since she was a little girl and the thought that her opponent could get her from behind like this was worrying.

"You know, I must say you disappoint me, Amazon," Vertigo spoke, sounding saddened by that statement. "I thought you would put up a better fight than this."

The dizzy feeling once more let up, allowing Diana to again recover. "But then, I don't suppose I could've expected a better fight out of a woman," the blond man continued. "I should have known better."

A fire lit up in Diana's eyes. If there was one thing she detested about Man's World, it was the misogyny that infested it like locust. Even in this city of worship, she found it and she refused to tolerate it. No matter what strange power this Count used, she would defeat it like all her other challenges and show him just what a woman was capable of.

* * *

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the wooden and paper hallway, the Detective, Superman, and the Martian running down it. After rescuing a small group of monks from their guards, the priests proved to be quite helpful in pointing out where the Fountain of Life was. None of them seemed all that concerned though, despite the occupation around them. The Detective found that strange.

Now though, he was mere feet away from taking on the Master, his superhero backup watching his back while he ensured his victory. Things were going to plan quite well—better than he had expected actually.

Of course, the moment he thought that, Superman had to pull up lame, slowing his pace as he appeared to be winded. Naturally, the Martian had to slow down in concern for his friend. "Superman? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," the Kryptonian replied, running a hand over his face. Now that the Detective got a good look at him, it appeared the alien was breaking out in a sweet. That was especially strange since the only time he looked that way was when he—

And then he heard it, the striking sound of flint against steel. There were only so many things that sound could be from and none of them were good for the Martian. Dashing at the green man, the black-clad man shouted, "Get down!" before tackling the Martian down to the floor.

An instant later, the wall where the Martian had been standing burst with flames, the fire eating away at the paper-covered walls. Under him, the Detective felt the Martian stiffen in fear, much like he had back at Etemenanki he imagined. Using his cloak, he shielded the two of them from any wayward flames, ensuring that one of them didn't go running down the corridor screaming.

"J'onn!" Superman shouted as he took a step towards them. However, he didn't go any further as a large fist burst through the wall next to the Kryptonian, wrapping around the man's head. Peeking out from behind his cloak, the Detective noticed the fingerless glove on the hand, green jewels embedded on it the back of the hand. There was only one thing the black-clad man could think of upon seeing the gems, right before Superman was dragged headfirst through the wall, leaving a large hole in his wake.

Of course, there was nothing he could do to stop what was about to happen as something emerged from the burning wall in front of him and the Martian. Choosing to face it rather than cower, the Detective forced himself onto his feet, the Martian joining him a moment later, though it wasn't hard to notice the green-skinned alien kept behind him.

Before them, a man wearing armor from head to toe appeared. Metal wings sprouted from his back, a flamethrower held tightly in his hands. Slowly, he turned to face the two men, staring at them through the bug-face helmet he wore. "Now if this isn't a surprise!" a rough, smoke-damaged voice exclaimed. "The Detective with the enemy. I didn't think the Master's little puppy had it in 'em. Tickle me surprised."

"Do you know this man?" the Martian questioned the Detective.

"Not at all," the black-clad man responded. "But he must be one of the Seven Men of Death."

"Bingo!" the armored man exclaimed. "They call me Firefly. Bet you know why."

Well, this was definitely not going to plan. Of all the people the Detective had to run into, it was the pyromaniac while a pyrophobic alien trembled behind him. This was going to be very problematic.

"You better get out of here," the Detective said, not bothering to turn his head to look at the Martian. It was pretty obvious who he was addressing. "Go back and try to help out one of the others. I'll take care of this guy."

"Oh? Don't go ahead?" Firefly mocked. "Really, you're telling the alien to lift up his skirt and go running away like a girl."

Ignoring those words, the black-clad man just lowered his voice, just so the Martian could listen to him. "The moment you try to get past him, he's going to light you up with that flamethrower and I don't think I can get to him in time to stop him from turning you into a barbeque."

"Then a strategic withdrawal would be beneficial," the Martian answered in understanding, much to the Detective's relief. "I will go retrieve one of the others to take my place, so just hang on as long as you can."

"Understood."

The Martian's presence began to fade away then as he retreated down the hall. That just left the Detective and Firefly staring each other down. "You really think you can take me, pup?" Firefly spoke sarcastically. "Or do you think you can last until one of your new buddies shows up? Either way, you're wrong."

"I know," the Detective said coolly. "In fact, I know there's no point in fighting you."

That seemed to stump the armored man. "Wha?"

"However, I would like to point out that you have an easy mark escaping you right now. I'm sure you could easily go lay waste to him and get back to finish me off were you to attack."

There was a moment's pause before Firefly said suspiciously, "I know what you're trying to do; you're trying to make me drop my guard or go chasing after the Martian. Sorry, Sonny Boy, not gonna happen."

"I don't care for the Martian, to be frank," the Detective replied, still sounding calm. "But I do need the Kryptonian. Whatever you decide to do, I have to go save that alien as soon as possible. That'd leave you with plenty of time to take care of the Martian and come back to finish off whatever's left of me and the Kryptonian, assuming we beat your partner."

A snort came from beneath the man's helmet. "You must think I'm some kind of moron, don't you? Just for that, I'm gonna burn you so bad, there won't be enough ashes for a cremation!

_Damn!_ Quickly, the Detective retrieved a smoke pellet just as Firefly aimed his flamethrower right at him, pulling the trigger and launching a burst of flames. Ducking down, the black-clad man just barely dodged a stream of fire flying over his head. Throwing down his smoke pellet between them, a cloud of smoke burst in front him, blocking his view of the armored man.

Springing up, the Detective jumped towards the ceiling, angling his body to a side so that he could press his hands up against one wall and his feet on the opposite one. Straightening his body out as much as he could, the black-clad man held himself there, waiting to see Firefly's next move.

As it just so happened, there was the firing of an engine and the man came bursting through the smoke cloud below the Detective, pulling back to hover in midair. "Oh, so you're trying to escape, huh!" Firefly shouted before angling his body forward and flying down the hall, a trail of smoke following him.

Watching this, the Detective held his position until he was sure Firefly was gone, dropping down to the floor while landing in a crouched pose. That was one problem solved. Turning away, he began running down the hall again, away from the direction the Martian and Firefly went. While he wouldn't have his backup as he originally planned, he would be facing down the Master.

* * *

Thanagarians lived for battle. It was in their blood from the moment they were born and lasted until they lay on their deathbeds. So when Hawkgirl was told her mission was to cause as much havoc and mayhem as she could, she thoroughly obliged.

The helicopters were all but useless by this point. She and Wonder Woman had done their damage and there wasn't a one that she could see that needed some special attention. That left her with taking on the members of the Demon's Fang, climbing high into the air and swooping down on top of them. As fast as those men were to fire their weapons, she was faster in evasion. It felt like child's play as she would spill down from the air, ramming into the assassins with her body, or knocking them clear off their feet with a tap from her mace—at least, what she considered to be a tap.

Things got even easier when Flash joined in, a red streak worming its way through the crowd, sending scores of men down to the dirt. Whatever fun she had been having was quickly draining away.

That was until the front of one of the temples exploded in flames. From her vantage point in the sky, the winged woman saw a giant bonfire raging uncontrollably, a man in an armored suit flying out of it and climbing higher into the air. Out in front of him was J'onn, doing his best aerial evasion as streak of fire were fired at him.

"Hang on, J'onn, I'm coming!" Hawkgirl shouted as she took off towards the Martian. She remembered vividly what happened to him the last time he was around flames and that hadn't been a picnic for either of them. Gripping the handle of her mace tightly, she flew in pursuit of J'onn's attacker.

Only to have what felt like a thousand volts of electricity suddenly hit her, causing Hawkgirl to let out a scream in pain. Her body screamed at her, her skin becoming scorched with every passing seconds. Somehow she remained airborne until the electricity stopped, causing her to fall from the sky limply. The cool air around her made her burns sting, the only thing keeping her awake.

That changed when she landed hard on the ground. Another gasp of pain escaped her lips as she bounced on the hard dirt, coming to rest on it a moment later. Gritting her teeth, the Thanagarian slowly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, followed shortly by her standing on her feet.

Rubbing her hand against the corner of her mouth, the winged woman searched for whatever it was that attacked and soon saw a man approaching her, dressed in a dark green rubber suit. The only contrasting color was his grey boots and metal gauntlets on his hands and forearms. "Enjoy your fall, Birdwoman?" the man asked.

"Not particularly," Hawkgirl spat out heatedly. "And I promise you, you soon won't either."

Just before she launched herself at the man, he clenched his fists, bolts of electricity dancing over his fists. That caused her to halt in her charge. "I see you've noticed my gauntlets," he said. "Just so you know, I can adjust the voltage. What I just did to you was a very low setting. It can get much worse for you."

Okay, it was obvious this guy was not like the peons she'd been fighting up against. Either this was someone higher in the pecking order, or he was one of the fabled Seven Men of Death. Hawkgirl was leaning on the latter. "So, you're one of Ra's al Ghul's Seven Men of Death," she spoke.

The man gave her a slight bow, a smirk on his face. "Electrocutioner, at your service."

_Ugh, what a cheesy name._ Well, if he wanted to fry her with electricity, she was going to throw it back at his face. Holding her mace out in front of her, she let her own electricity dance over the weapon's surface. "Haaaaa!" she shouted as she launched herself at her opponent, shifting her mace to one side as she skimmed over the ground. With a swing, she swung the mace at Electrocutioner, the man ducking beneath it before he drove one of his electrified fists into her gut.

Instantly, that shocking, burning sensation burst into her stomach, causing Hawkgirl to cry out just before a fist slammed into the side to her face and sent her crashing to the ground in a heap. She didn't stay down for long, recovering quickly by mentally forcing the pain to a side. This allowed her to see Electrocutioner raise one of his legs up and send it down, attempting to stomp her.

_Bad move._ Immediately, Hawkgirl shot a hand out, catching the foot cleaning with one hand and causing her foe to look started. With her own foot, she smashed it into the side of Electrocutioner's ankle, knocking his leg out from underneath him and causing him to fall onto the ground.

Grasping her mace handle tightly, Hawkgirl forced herself up and lunged over her opponent, swinging her weapon down at him. The man shot both of his hands up in response, grabbing onto her own hands.

Normally, a human's strength was nothing against hers. However, the moment his hands met hers, she was shocked again by the electricity, causing the muscles in her arms to lock up and stilted her strength. Letting out his own yell, the Electrocutioner suddenly increased his voltage, which sent severe jolts throughout the winged woman's body. A moment later, he let go of her, and suddenly Hawkgirl went flying through the air, arcing high until she came falling back down, landing on top of one of the many destroyed helicopters.

"Ugh," Hawkgirl groaned as she lay on the side of the helicopter. This was not going the way it was supposed to. Apparently being a Man of Death was more than just a job description. Moaning she forced herself to sit up, looking at the Electrocutioner through half-lidded eyes. This allowed her to see dancing voltage on her opponent's gauntlets and a second later, a blast of electricity racing towards her.

Shooting her eyes wide open, the Thanagarian forced herself to take flight, just as the electric blast slammed into the helicopter. An explosion rang out as the voltage overwhelmed the computers and electronics in the fallen vehicle, causing them to explode. This produced an unexpected updraft that sent Hawkgirl soaring higher into the air, a welcomed boon for her.

So that explained how she was shot out of the sky. Damn, this made things more difficult. This guy obviously knew how to fight and she couldn't take too many blows from him, what with the electric current running through her with each hit. Long range wasn't much of an option either if he could just fired electricity at her too.

This...wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

_Ow. Ow. Ow._

Zatanna rubbed her head in an attempt to soothe the throbbing she felt. Getting blasted into a building was not as fun as you'd think it was—definitely did not recommend it. Pushing herself up, the dark-haired woman saw she was in what used to be some monk's quarters. It was kinda nice if you ignored all the pieces of broken wood scattered on the floor and...oh, looks like there was some paper too with some sort of writing on it. She was gonna guess a wall poster, but she got the feeling the monks here didn't decorate that way.

That was when she felt Mordecai's presence, his magical energies growing much larger. "C'mon, give a girl a break," Zatanna muttered as she gathered her own energies. Eyeing the room's door, she made a break for it, swinging it open and dashing into an empty corridor.

An instant later, the room behind her was overflowing with blue fire. Okay, seriously, this guy needed to figure out some other kind of spell, the fire was sooo overdone. Running down the hallway, Zatanna attempted to put some distance between her and Mordecai. She seriously needed a break and some time to catch her breath.

Of course, that would be asking for too much. At the end of the hall, smoke suddenly erupted, Mordecai stepping out of it, his talisman glowing brightly. Well, she already had her own magic gathered, this was as good of a time as any to use it.

"Gniliec llaf nwod!" she called out, the roof over Mordecai's head breaking and collapsing on top of him. At least it was supposed to; the mage had immediately activated his own shield spell, causing the debris to fall to either side of him harmlessly.

"If nothing, you are entertaining," the man complimented her, sounding amused. "Though you do have a reliance on using your environment. That will be your undoing."

Zatanna scowled. So he was lecturing her now? Well, let's see if he thinks _this _is over-reliant! "Roolf llaf trapa!"

The wood flooring beneath Mordecai's feet suddenly shattered and collapsed, the mage widening his eyes comically as he fell from sight, disappearing into the hole the dark-haired woman had made. Smirking, Zatanna then spun around and ran the other way. Racing past the burnt out monk's room, she came to a screeching stop at the end of the hall, dashing to the right and into a new corridor.

Okay, distance: check. Plan: working on it. Time: too damn little of it. Though Zatanna was the first to admit she was new to magic, she hadn't been in a magic fight that went on this long. That was mostly because Nimue would overwhelm her on the onset and everyone else she faced were shockingly worse at this than her, or didn't know magic. Mordecai was the first one that really was giving her a run for her money and no matter how many surprise tricks she threw his way, he'd come back pissed off and ready to make a little Zatanna stew out of her entrails.

Zatanna did not want her entrails to be Zatanna stew.

Unfortunately, the guy had a point that she was using her environment too much. There really wasn't much she could work with in this temple place, or at least she couldn't imagine many uses, which was starting to hinder her.

Just then, the floor several feet in front of her exploded, sending pieces of broken wood all over the place. Mordecai emerged from a freshly-created hole, his face twisted with anger. Man, did she not call that or what? "I will hang you by your entrails, Witch!" he hissed at her.

At least that was marginally better than Zatanna stew.

"Sorry, already donated those," the dark-haired woman quipped, holding her hands out in front of her. "But I can give you some gnillaf kcirb!"

Once more, the ceiling broke apart, this time stone bricks raining down on Mordecai. Again, the blue-roped man shielded himself, glaring at her through his blue shield. However, Zatanna was not done. Summoning as much magical energies as she could, the magician fired another beam of violet magic. "Cigam tsalb ta iacedrom!"

Her beam slammed into Mordecai's shield and for a moment it looked as if the man was straining to resist the force of the attack. Sure he was completely focused on his front, Zatanna snapped her fingers, teleporting herself behind the mage, once more calling upon another magic blast. "Tsalb iacedrom kcab!"

Just as she hoped, this beam hit her opponent's shield—and due to his focus elsewhere—and broke it, Mordecai crying out as it was his turn to be carried away until he crashed into a wall.

_Score one for the Mistress of Magic!_ Zatanna cheered in her head, before pausing for a split-second. Huh. that name wasn't bad, not bad at all. She was totally keeping that one for later. Now, while she had Mordecai down, she was going to finish him off. Charging another blast, she chanted out, "Cigam hsinif iacedrom!"

However, instead of another beam, all she got was a puff of smoke. Staring at it comically, Zatanna quickly regrouped. "Erif cigam ta iacedrom!" Again, nothing. "Cigam tsalb erif." Nada.

"Oh, shit," she cursed. She was out of magic. This just couldn't be good.

* * *

A few things about the presented Men of Death. I'm sure most can recognize Count Vertigo. While I'm not familiar with his comic book version, I am with his appearance in the Batman Animated Series, which is definitely who I'm going for. Although he is by no means a physical threat to Wonder Woman, his technology to alter balance and essentially make people dizzy has heck would be enough to throw off even an Amazon.

For Firefly, I'd like to note is not the Garfield Lynns version. Lynns is currently a frozen popsicle thanks to Mr Freeze in The Ninth Circle. Unfortunately, that left me with a problem as to coming up with a human pyromaniac. After doing some research, I did find out someone else donned the Firefly mantle, some rich guy named Ted Carson. He...is not who I'm modeling this Firefly off of, but it did provide me with the opportunity to create my own, basing it off of the Arkham Origins character (even though that is still Lynns). So basically we've got an unknown guy in the Firefly suit, if that makes any sense at all. No? Awww...

And finally, the Electrocutioner. I'm...not very familiar with this character to be honest. My exposure to him is once more from Arkham Origins. While I've taken the model of the character, I've made him more...intelligent for lack of a better word, not to mention given him greater range with his electric gauntlets. I had to make these guys worth of fighting super-powered aliens after all.


	25. Is This All You Are?

The world had slowed to an incredible pace. It was as if everyone had stopped moving, though that wasn't the case as bullets continued to pour out of gun barrels, the sound of gunfire seeming to soften and deepen due to the relatively slow speed of sound.

Then again, everything short of light was slow for the Flash. In this stone-still world, the red-clad man raced towards the large army of ninjas, closing the distance between them before they could even think to raise a foot, much less notice him coming. Reaching one man, Flash buried a fist into the side of his face, ripples beginning to show on the side of the man's mask-covered cheek from where the blow landed. He then shot off to another ninja, doing the same to that man. Flash punched five more before the first ninja had even reacted to the hit, head slowly moving to the side as the man's body followed in suit.

"Whoa, 'cuse me, coming through," Flash jested as he suddenly ducked to a side, dodging a bullet in midair. Compared to the ninjas he had hit, the bullet was moving a hell of a lot faster, but nowhere near fast enough to hit the Fastest Man Alive. Avoiding the bullet by a mile, Flash then shot towards the man that had fired it and slammed his fist into the man's face. Almost immediately his head snapped back, body beginning to flip head over feet. _Whoops, hit him too hard there, Flash._

Giving himself a microsecond's pause, the red-clad youth looked up to the sky, noticing Hawkgirl doing her thing as she prepared for another dive. Apparently he and the angel babe were the only ones interested in fighting off an army of assassins, which wasn't the plan. Either Wondy was too busy playing "Wondy Smash" on the helicopters and the magician babe was helping her, or they suddenly had their hands full. It was probably the first choice, or so he thought.

Still, on the off chance that they were otherwise occupied, it was best if Flash lent his very capable feet to their cause. Dashing away from his flipping ninja, the red-clad man knocked out a couple more ninjas with blows to the back of the head as he ran by, heading for the smashed remains of the helicopters.

That was when he was struck by a sudden spell of dizziness, which made him sick to his stomach. "Ugh, shouldn't have ate that hotdog on the way here," he groaned before he took cover behind a thoroughly destroyed heap of scrap metal. Miraculously, he felt a lot better after doing that.

Of course, the moment he stopped, the world around him sped right back up. The sound of several men hitting the ground were nearly drowned out by the very loud booms of gunfire. Hawkgirl's warcry echoed out from high above as she dropped through the air, ramming herself through a lot of bad guys, or so the speedster imagined.

Okay, thinking time now: what the heck was with the sudden pukey feeling? That didn't really happen to him, but practically out of nowhere—while he was running, he might add—he suddenly felt his insides churn and a feeling of "are my feet really on the ground?" overcame him. It was like that one party in high school he went to and got drunk off his ass and that made the room start spinning when he didn't want it to. Though that might explain what Flash felt right then, there was a slight problem: one, he wasn't drunk, which was a real shame, and two, well, he couldn't think of a two. So yeah, his only problem was feeling like crap without drinking.

The responsible thing for Flash to do was find out what the heck had caused that. It would've been the first thing he'd done too if a sudden blue light hadn't appeared over his hiding place, distracting him suddenly.

"Alright, I think we've hit a snag," Flash said mostly to himself. "Either these assassin guys suddenly got a lot tougher, or I think those Death guys showed themselves."

He was betting on the Death guys this time.

So what to do? Check out the sickening feeling he just felt or investigate the blue light. Decisions, decisions.

Well, Flash didn't like feeling sick and the light could only be so many things—he was going with the light. Once again, the world slowed around him as he dashed out from behind the scrapheap. A dust cloud rose up behind him as he made his way towards a couple more assassins, delivering punches that were meant to knock them flat on their ass and keep them down for the count.

Of course, the moment he hit the second one, Flash noticed a stark lack of gunfire. In fact, he couldn't help but notice how a lot of the ninjas seemed to be lowering their guns, coming to a stop.

Perhaps the reason why was because of a guy in a dark blue body suit, a hood covering his head and partially blocking his face from view. Cape hanging over his shoulders, the man stood facing in the Flash's direction, arms crossed over his chest.

Well, if that wasn't an invitation, then Flash didn't know what one was—Stacy Miller's invite to that kegger notwithstanding. Changing course, the red-clad man ran at this newcomer, coming to a stop mere feet away from him. A second later, a cloud of dust and dirt washed over his legs.

"So, I take it you're one of those big shot assassins," Flash spoke, hands on his hips as he stood confidently. "Mind if I get your name? For the mugshot, of course."

The man regarded him from beneath his hood, very quiet-like. For a moment Flash wondered if this guy was trying that stare down thing the Bat had used on him on the mountainside, you know, the one that made him feel incredibly small and a tad bit uncomfortable. If that was what this assassin dude was doing, he was doing a pretty poor job. Finally, the man answered him, "They call me Griffin, one of the Master's—"

"Yeah, yeah, Seven Men of Death; heard of ya already," Flash interrupted him.

The man was silent for a moment before replying, "I see my reputation precedes me."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. More like I was watching a movie and you popped up in the previews."

"I...see."

Flash began stretching his arms over his head, mostly out of boredom than anything. "So this is the part where we actually start to fight, right? I'm not used to having my bad guys waiting out in the open for me, so this is a new one."

Griffin gave him a nod. "If you wish, bring it on."

* * *

J'onn climbed higher into the air, cape pulled taut against his shoulders. Moving to his left, he deftly avoided a stream of fire as it shot past him. Moving to his right while give a short spin, he dodged another stream, the heat from the fire making him sweat.

With a glance down he saw the man, Firefly, giving chase, the barrel of his flamethrower pointed at the Martian. "Don't run away!" the man shouted after him, his voice filled with glee. "I'm feeling hungry and my stomach's cravin' for some alien barbeque!"

Somehow this man had gotten away from the Batman, either by incinerating him mere moments after the Martian had left him, or Firefly gave chase immediately. There was also the possibility that the Batman purposefully let the fire-user go and in all likelihood was what had happened. Either way, it did not change the fact that he was being hunted down by someone with a weapon that meant to do him harm.

Gritting his teeth, J'onn fired twin beams from his eyes, the beams racing down towards Firefly. In response, the armored man rolled to his right, dodging the attack and firing another blast of fire. Face becoming stricken with fear, J'onn was barely able to move out of the way, the flames licking at his heat-sensitive skin. A weak cry slipped out of his mouth, before he hardened his features. Immediately he stopped his flight, allowing Firefly to close the distance between them rapidly.

Manipulating the density of his body's mass, J'onn hardened his body into solid steel a moment before his foe crashed into him. With a shocked cry, Firefly bounced off of him, the clashing of two metals ringing out into the air. Stunned, the armored man seemed to float helplessly in midair before J'onn.

Returning to his normal state, the Martian raised a fist and drove it down onto Firefly's head, sending him careening towards the ground. Carefully, J'onn gave chase, waiting to see what the man's next move would be before he launched his next attack. Though he wished that blow had ended their conflict, it wasn't meant to be as Firefly seemed to regain his composure in time to gain control of his flight, leveling off mere feet above the ground and racing over it. With a frown, J'onn followed him, sure to keep a safe distance away in order to dodge any surprise attacks.

Suddenly, Firefly shot straight up into the air, heading skyward. Coming to a stop, J'onn just watched the growing trail of smoke as he reached higher and higher above him. Hardening his face, the Martian began focusing his mind on the armored man, reaching out to touch his thoughts and find out what he was up to.

_Bet this alien can't take a firebomb._

Pulling back, J'onn noticed Firefly coming right back at him, something sticking right out of the barrel. "Hey Alien!" the man shouted as he drew near. "I got a little present for ya!" Taking aim, he fired a canister at him, J'onn immediately flying out of the way. Eyes following the canister, he saw it hit the ground and flames explode in all directions. Like liquid, the fire spread out over the dirt, reaching the stone foundation of the temples and clinging to them. Many of the Demon's Fang fled from the flames, doing their best to keep away from it. Right about then, J'onn felt that this fire was more than simple flames.

Pouring on more speed, he fled away from the burning inferno. As it so happened, that proved to be a wise move as a stream of fire passed by behind him; had he not moved as quickly as he had, he had no doubt that attack would've hit him right in the back and he would've had a new problem.

"Run, Alien, run!" Firefly shouted after him giddily. "Make me earn my kill!"

Gritting his teeth, J'onn began rising up into the air again, doing his best aerial maneuvers as he began dodging the flamethrower once more. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could do before he made a mistake. He obviously needed to bring this fight into closer quarters to stop the pyromaniac, but he doubted Firefly would let him use the same trick twice. Telepathy was another option, but it required some concentration on his part, which he couldn't afford at the moment. That didn't take into account his natural aversion to fire interfering with his more rational, calmer mind.

Pressing on, he continued digging for a new strategy, anything to turn the tables before it was too late.

* * *

Alright, the priests were safe from harm—objective one complete. Although it had been a bit disturbing to be thanked by men who seemed to have very little concern for their welfare, John was just glad those civilians were safe and now he and his companions could fight without having to worry about them.

As the Green Lantern flew back to the battlefield, he couldn't help but take note that a lot had changed since he had left. J'onn and Hawkgirl seemed to be having their hands' full with aerial battles and Flash was having a stare down with some guy in a dark hood. There was no sight of Wonder Woman or Zatanna, but he could see some damage to some of the temple roofs. Seemed like things hadn't gone to plan while he was gone.

That was when something caught his eye. On top of one of the taller buildings a light flickered. Frowning, John was about to ignore it when he saw it again and there were repeated flashes. It took him a moment to realize it was Morse code and that someone wanted him up on that roof. "Come...here...Lantern," he read out loud, eyes narrowing. Eyeing the other battles he saw, it came quickly to him that perhaps he wouldn't be able to help the others, not without putting a target on someone else's back. So, he gave into the message and flew to the building, landing on top of it.

There he met a brown-haired man, cut short in a military fashion. Perhaps what stuck out to John was the hexagon strap to his black spandex-covered torso. It was a light red in the center with blue around the edges, purple between them. The blue slide towards the middle as the red and purple vanished, green and yellow appearing as soon as the blue moved. It continued like this throughout, going up and down the color spectrum.

"You called," John stated as he stared the man down. Considering he wasn't dressed anything like the other Demon's Fang guys, he was guessing this guy was something different.

"I did," the man gruffly said, his gloved fingers flexing and relaxing. Eyeing the way the man held himself, John got the sense this guy was ex-military. "I'm rather glad you know Morse's code; makes meeting with you a whole lot easier."

"Let me guess: so we can fight each other without anyone else getting in the way."

The man nodded his head. "That's right."

"Well, you got it," John responded. "But let me tell you something, that fear gas isn't going to work on me again."

The man stared at the Lantern for a moment before he let out an audible snort. "You're talking about the Detective's little toy, aren't you? Believe me, that's the least of your worries; the same for the rest of your friends. As a Man of Death, I don't need to force fear down your throat—I can do that just fine on my own."

So, no countermeasures. That was one positive in John's book. One less thing to worry about and if the Men of Death were arrogant enough to not use sure-fire methods to take out seven powerful meta-humans, then their hubris was going to bite them in the ass hard.

"Well then, you wanted a fight; here it comes!" John threw his ring hand up, gathering his will and channeling it into his right hand. A green light briefly flashed over his ring before a green beam fired towards the man. The Green Lantern had expected his opponent to dodge the attack, which he would then fire a second beam that would catch the man in mid-dodge.

What actually happened was the man took the beam head on, allowing it to hit him. Much to John's surprise, nothing happened. In fact, his foe didn't look the least bit hurt from the attack, staring stoically at the dark-skinned man.

"You're going to have to do better than that," the man said unamused. He then raised a hand up, large, bulky gauntlets covering up his hand up to his mid-forearm. There was a white circle on the palm and it began glowing the moment John saw it.

An instant later, a white beam shot towards John, the man widening his eyes before diving to a side, the blast flying by harmlessly. Rolling over his back until he came back up on his feet, he aimed his ring at his opponent again and fired another energy beam, receiving the same result as last time.

Letting a warcry out, the man charged at John, drawing a fist back before throwing it down at the Lantern. Dodging to the left, John balled up his left fist and threw it, landing the blow on the man's face. His opponent's face snapped to a side, living it wide open for a follow-up punch that knocked him flat on his ass.

However, if John thought that was enough to knock out this tough guy, he was mistaken. The moment the man landed on the ground, he thrust up his hand and fired another white beam, this one hitting John right on his chest and pushing him back, a burning sensation causing him to hiss. That had actually hurt!

Scrambling to get back on his feet, the man went charging at John, trying to punch him again. Scowling John decided that he needed to take the lead on his fight and willed his ring to make to large boxing gloves, each one extending out from his arms by green light. With a swing of an arm, he sent one glove slamming into his foe's face, sending the man flying back across the roof this time, barely able to get his booted feet to touch the roof and slow him to a stop.

The Green Lantern didn't let up, sending his other boxing glove flying at the man. However, this time his opponent raised a hand up, catching the glove before it could make contact with him. What came next shocked John as he watched his construct break down before it seemed to be sucked right into the man's hand. In fact, he felt a pulling sensation on his arm when this happened and instinctively dropped his will, causing his other boxing glove to fade away and the sucking sensation to end.

_What the hell happened?_

"I see you're confused," the man said, "much like all of the people I fight. They don't really understand what's happening until it's far too late."

John frowned. This guy was certainly arrogant, that was for sure. It kinda reminded him of that Batman guy and that only made him scowl more. Still, he needed to think this through before going on the offensive again. Twice now he had used his ring, only for one to not work while the other was broken down. Or was that what really happened?

Now that he thought about it, the way the energy from his ring seemed to be sucked right into the gauntlet was telling. "Let me guess," he suddenly spoke up. "You absorb energy, is that it?"

The man seemed caught off-guard by that statement if his widened eyes were any indication, but he did nod his acknowledgement. "I see you realized what part of my suit does."

"And the other?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "Isn't that obvious? I use it." At this, he threw up his hand again and fired a much larger white blast on John, who threw his own hand up and focused his will to create a green shield in front of him. To his surprise, the force the white beam had was much stronger than the one that had hit him previously, the Lantern having to pour more of his will into his shield to hold it off. Grunting, he gritted his teeth until the attack ended, his shield still holding until he let it fade away.

Of course, that left his opponent smirking openly at him, still holding his hand up. "As you can see, it's quite effective. That has earned me the name Ricochet."

"Good for you," John grunted back. Holding his ring hand up, he clutched it tightly, the green glow of his ring growing brighter. "But right now you've _earned_ yourself an ass-whooping and I'm gonna make sure that you get it.

* * *

"Ahhh!"

Superman's back slammed into a thick wooden post, a support beam holding up the floor of the temple above his head. Cracking his eyes open, he saw his large, bulky opponent right in front of him before he began drilling giant fist after giant gist into the Kryptonian's gut. The sickening effects of the Kryptonite drained him of his strength, leaving him helpless to the beating he was getting.

Shortly after being separated from J'onn and Batman, he had been assaulted by a man barely wearing anything at all. He had a sashes of red cloth running down over his shoulders and coming together and wrapping around his hips. There was a white cloth covering his nether regions, but other than that he was showing every muscle he had.

Once the man had pulled Superman through the wall, he took advantage of those Kryptonite gauntlets he wore, pummeling him until he decided to pick the Kryptonian up and slam him through the floor with enough force to break right through it. That just about covered everything up to this point.

Suddenly, a beefy forearm slammed into Superman's throat, causing him to croak and gag in response "Why do you not resist?" a harsh, whisper of a voice questioned him. "Where is your fight? You must have more than this."

A hand grabbed onto the front of the Man of Steel's costume, the forearm moving away from his neck, though that was only temporary as he found himself being thrown through the air, landing hard on the soft brown dirt. Cough hoarsely, Superman looked up at his opponent, glaring at him. "Try saying that...without the Kryptonite..."

The large man just stared at him from beneath the red cloth headgear he wore, one that only revealed his eyes as his face and had completely covered his head. Superman thought the guy would've snorted at the remark, but all he did was remain silent until he went charging at the Kryptonian, swinging a foot to kick him in the face.

Rolling to a side, Superman dodged the blow, forcing himself up off the ground and lunging, arms wrapping around the man as he attempted to tackle him. There was a gasp of air from the man as Superman poured as much strength as he could muster into his arms, squeezing as hard as he could. Even when exposed to Kryptonite, he had enough strength to rival a hundred strong men—at least he thought that was a fair comparison since he rarely fought like this. Obviously he was doing something to the man he held.

That was until an elbow slammed right down on on the back of his neck, sending a shooting pain through Superman as he cried out. That was when two arms wrapped around the dark-haired man's waist and he found himself being lifted right off the ground, being held upside down. His opponent gave a short hop, sticking his legs up and away from his body, which left the two of them falling to the dirt, Superman's head colliding with it hard.

Arms going limp, the Kryptonian dropped his grip around the man's waist before he was lifted up again, still upside down with his arms dangling above his head. This time he was simply dropped, landing again on his head, his body falling over until he lay still on the dirt. Stars were flashing before his eyes and they weren't doing anything to help the constant ill-feeling he felt.

A fist driving itself against the back of his head didn't help matters either as it was followed by another and another. With each blow, more stars and flashes exploded before his eyes.

And then, it stopped. For a moment, Superman wondered what was going on until he felt the warm breath of his foe by his ear. "You disappoint me," the man whispered to him. "Is this all you are? That you rely on your powers so much that you are merely ordinary when they are removed?"

Right then and there, Superman decided to call this guy Whisper because he got the feeling the man wasn't going to be giving out a name anytime soon. He largely ignored Whisper's words because they were just that, words. If anything, the man was trying to get him to act out of anger and go headfirst into another mistake, to which he would pay for.

Forcing his head up, he saw Whisper kneeling next to him, arms resting on his knees as he leaned over the Kryptonian. Seeing an opportunity, Superman called upon his heat vision, eyes going red before he fired the heated beams.

In response, Whisper leaped up into the air, over the beams as he flipped through the air. Deactivating his heat vision, Superman followed him with his eyes, pushing himself up so he could turn his head as well. This allowed him to see Whisper jump up again, this time twisting his body in the air as he angled himself to drop on top of Superman, an elbow held out and ready to drive into his body.

Instantly he rolled out of the way, his opponent landing hard on he ground a moment later. Finding himself still within range, Superman managed to get onto his knees, keeping them wide for balance as his torso leaned to a side, throwing a punch at his foe, which nailed him in the face. It was an awkward punch to be sure, but it had the satisfying sight of seeing Whisper's head snapping to a side.

However, Whisper used this sudden change and moved with it, rolling on the ground and putting distance between him and the Man of Steel. Getting back onto his hands and feet, he looked much like a bull ready to charge, though for some reason held back.

And thanks to Superman's hearing, he caught the man say, "Much better, but you need to do more."

Suddenly, he threw one of his hands up, swinging it up and across his body. Dirt went flying from his hand, heading right for Superman, causing him to bring an arm up to shield his eyes. That proved costly as Whisper lunged forward, tackling him and sending the two falling back onto the ground.

Unfortunately, Whisper landed on top of Superman and he took full advantage of it by pummeling the Man of Steel's head again. He tried to block the blows, but Whisper either overpowered his arms, or batted them to aside before landing another punch. Blood began to flow from a cut on his lip. He had to stop this somehow, someway.

Holding his breath, Superman allowed himself to get punched again before he blew all of the air out of his lungs through his mouth. Normally this was enough for his freezing breath to flash-freeze anything the cold air touched. However, due to the Kryptonite on Whisper's gauntlet, it reduced his breath to a powerful wind, one that stopped his foe in mid-punch and slowly began pushing him back.

Unfortunately, whatever reprieve he got from that ended the moment he ran out of air. Though surprised, the moment the wind died down Whisper lunged forward, bending his arm at the elbow and using gravity to drop him down on the Kryptonian. _Not again_, he thought before his sight exploded with stars once more.

* * *

And now for the last three Men of Death. Griffin is actually one of Flash's rouges. As you're going to see soon, he's a hodge-podge of odd powers. Not sure who made him or why they decided to make him as complex as they did, but he seemed to fit in right where I needed him, not to mention having the right power to make him somewhat of a challenge to Flash.

For Ricochet, he's an original character as far as I know. Made him myself and his gimmick is definitely going to make things difficult for Green Lantern.

And finally Whisper. He's actually one of the seven fighters used during Bruce Wayne's retraining with Shiva following the Knightfall arc. I believe it's called Knightsend, but I could be mistaken. Anyways, he's the last of seven apprentices seeking revenge against Bruce for the murder of their master—that was done by Shiva so she could use the apprentices to help retrain Bruce. Unfortunately, he never gave a name like the other apprentices, so I had to make one up. Considering his voice is extremely soft for his size, something that was caused by him having a metal plate implanted in his neck to remove it as a weak point, it provided the source of his name as he could barely speak above a whisper.


	26. Sword Duel With The Demon

The Detective slowly edged the door open, peeking through the crack it made to get a general idea of the scene beyond it. He saw what looked to be hundreds of ponds with all sorts of overgrowth on them. Closer to his location he caught sight of a few of the priests being guarded by members of the Demon's Fang, Ubu standing in front of them with his arms crossed.

Currently, two assassins were forcing a monk towards one of the pools, each holding a tight grip. Strangely, the monk didn't seem to be resisting the men, contrary to the way the assassins were holding him. His feet dragged and bounced off the ground, causing him to stumble more out of a loss of balance than resistance. Reaching the pool, they forcefully tossed the priest in, the man disappearing beneath the waters. It took a couple moments before a blue fire erupted from the waters, its light flickering across the Detective's surprised face.

At least that explained why the monks from the larger group outside were being led here; each and every monk was being used as a sacrifice to find the Fountain of Life. The Master would most assuredly focus his entire attention on the search for the correct pool. Now, he just had to find him...

_There._ Standing between his men and the ponds was the Master, his back to all of them as he watched the proceedings. For a moment, the black-clad man couldn't believe his luck; he had an unimpeded view of the Master's unguarded back, just waiting for a knife to be stuck into it.

Reaching to his belt, the Detective pulled out one of his shuriken, a special one dipped in a lethal poison. He didn't use it very often, but that was because he only saved it for special occasions and what could be more special than the overthrow of the Great Demon's Head? Slowly, he opened the door more so he could have a wider gap to throw through. He had only one shot at this and he didn't want—

"You may as well come out, Detective," the Master spoke. "Come and explain to me why you are here."

The Detective clutched his poison-tipped shuriken tightly out of anger before sliding it back into its pouch. Collecting himself for a moment, he then pushed the door completely open before stepping out onto the descending stone staircase. The other assassins and monks were looking at him blankly, as if they cared not a wit at his presence.

Ubu, on the other hand, looked positively enraged. "Dog!" he shouted with rage, "why do you disturb the Master's work?!"

By now, the Master had turned around to regard the black-clad man, though his face was bemused more than anything. "Calm yourself, Ubu. Allow him the use of his head for the moment before it is cut off for insubordination."

That seemed to placate the manservant, though the Detective just ignored him; arriving at the bottom of the stairs, he continued towards the Master until he reached the dirt ground at the edge of the stone patio. There, he knelt before the Master, staring down at the ground. "I apologize for my intrusion," he began, sounding earnest. "The Princess believed my presence at your side would aid in your search for the Fountain of Life since she could not be at your side herself."

"Is that so," the Master stated. "Very well, Detective, you may serve my purpose." He then angled the side of his body towards the hundreds of pools and pointed a finger at them. "Use your body to find the Fountain."

The image of the burning monk filled the Detective's mind as he processed that order. "Master?" he asked questioningly, daring to raise his head and look at the man.

"Do not play me for a fool, Detective," the Master said blandly. "I know your true cause as well as my daughter's. You come to usurp me, nothing more."

There was a sharp gasp before Ubu screamed, "Infidel! May you die a thousand deaths! Master, I will rid you of this scum—"

"Silence!" the Demon's Head roared, Ubu faltering in his rage. Then in a more sedate tone he said, "The Detective has come all this way to face me and I believe it is time to see whether he has the skill and fortitude to do what all others have failed to. It would be a shame if this coup of his did not at least make an earnest attempt to overthrow me."

Seeing no more reason to stay kneeling, the Detective slowly stood up. "Before I kill you, tell me how you know of this," he questioned.

A small smile graced the Demon's Head's lips. "There is not much I am unaware of, Detective, such as your and my daughter's blossoming relationship. I cannot lie that I did wish for such a union; though as Talia has undoubtedly told you, you have a very narrow mind when it comes to greatness. It was only a matter of time before she set you on the proper course."

The black-clad man resisted the urge to clench his fists tightly. The Master _had_ known about them, even with the steps they had taken to conceal themselves. No doubt following his own failing in Gotham the Master wished to prod him into action by serving him a demotion into Talia's guard. Well, the Master got exactly what he wanted.

"Of course, I do not tolerate insurrection by anyone," the Master continued to say, an arm tossing aside his green cloak as he drew out his saber, the friction between blade and scabbard ringing out. "Not even by my own daughter. Should your attempt fail, _all_ parties will be punished."

This time the Detective reacted, biting down hard as his jaw twitched. "I will accept full responsibility for all repercussions," he responded. "Just leave Talia out of your wrath, O' Great Demon's Head."

"And why should I?" the Master inquired.

"Because you and I both care for her greatly. I took her rightful place here in order to spare her such a fate should I fail—which I can assure you I will not."

There was a growl from Ubu, but the manservant remained silent. It was becoming quite apparent that more than the Master would need to be disposed of here; that was probably for the best since he would prefer his own Ubu instead of one still loyal to his future predecessor.

In response to his words, the Demon's Head nodded. "I will take your words under consideration, Detective. Just know what you stand to gain...as well as lose. Before you stands what I consider to be the prototype of the Lazarus Pits, the very waters that have gifted me with everlasting life. However, unlike the pits, the Fountain can resurrect a man without the insanity that is induced by the Lazarus. Of course, once the bombs I have set at each pit go off, there will be no more Lazarus Pits for use."

"And thus why you sought out the Fountain," the Detective added.

Again, the Master nodded. "Quite. However, as it stands you have the chance to wrest the Fountain from me, and secure not only your position, but immortality for yourself and your...Beloved. The world can be forever yours.

"Of course, if you fail, you will have your life forfeited and will remain as only a reminder to all who wish to oppose me. Can you accept these terms?"

It was the Detective's turn to nod. "I do."

"Very well. Ali!"

One of the assassins stepped forward and knelt on the ground. "Yes, my Master."

"Lend the Detective your sword."

Without hesitation, Ali drew out his sword and then stood up, tossing the sword through the air. Raising his hand out, the Detective caught the sword at its hilt, bringing it into his body where he grasped it with his other hand. Holding the sword in front of him, the black-clad man pointed the tip towards his opponent, who stood at a side, holding his own saber out at shoulder height, its point aiming right at the Detective.

"Show me what you are made of, Detective," the Master ordered. "Prove to me that _you_ are the new Demon's Head."

* * *

"Come out, come out wherever you are! I'm gonna find you, Alien! You can't hide forever!"

J'onn peeked around the corner of one of the buildings, using it to shield himself from Firefly's ever searching eyes. The Martian had managed to give his opponent "the slip" as humans would say, and taken cover behind the stone buildings. This of course sent Firefly flying around, searching for him.

Looking down at himself, J'onn could see discolorations in his skin, all caused by the proximity to fire, if not the heat itself. The flames were close enough as is and his body did not react well to its proximity to it. Unfortunately, there was very little he could do at the moment.

Of course, now that he had managed to buy himself some time, he could launch a psychic attack against the armored man. As long as he had a few moments—

"I found you!" Firefly crowed behind him, causing the Martian to whip his head around. Flamethrower aimed, the flying man fired a stream of fire at J'onn.

Immediately, J'onn changed his density, his body becoming transparent. Diving to the building next to him, he went right through the wall and entered what appeared to be a dojo. Solidifying, he lifted off the floor and began flying through the open doors and down the corridor. It wouldn't be long before Firefly set the entire place ablaze if only to drive him out. With the direction he was going, the Martian predicted he'd be exiting the building on the other side, which is what his opponent expected of him.

So, he decided to change course, he went transparent once more and passed through a wall to his right, continuing in this new direction until he exited the building, not stopping until he entered the next structure.

It was during this change that J'onn caught sight of one of the others, Hawkgirl, maneuvering in midair as she avoided what appeared to be blasts of electricity. It wasn't until J'onn entered his new temporary sanctuary that he considered this.

Electricity was by no means a safe alternative to the fire he faced, but it was one he could cope with better. The shocks would burn, yes, but he could take more voltage than he could a match flame, which spoke nothing to the streams he was facing now. Easily he could imagine Hawkgirl facing Firefly head on, not bothered by the armored man's attack.

Thus a solution presented itself.

Opening his mind, he reached out to Hawkgirl's, his eyes glowing a bright orange. _Hawkgirl_ he mentally called out, trying to reach her.

Strangely enough, he wasn't able to initially. That was most unexpected; most people of this planet, including Superman, were easy to access with their minds. Still, he had to try harder. Focusing harder, he continued to reach out until he caught a glimpse, small and distant, but still there. Concentrating, the glimmer grew bigger until he finally made contact.

_Hawkgirl!_

_J'onn?!_ the Thanagarian exclaimed in surprise. _What are you_—

_Listen, we do not have much time. I am having difficulty with my opponent and I see you are having some too._

_I am _not _having a hard time, _she fired back heatedly_. He just won't let me hit him is all!_

_That is why I am offering to trade,_ J'onn replied_. I will handle your opponent while you defeat mine._

_That so? Who's your guy?_

_He is the man with the flamethrower who_—

_I see him. Consider him roadkill, J'onn. Now get Electrocutioner off my back._

_I'm on my way._

Once more becoming transparent, J'onn made his way out of the sanctuary, reappearing outside. Seeing exactly where Hawkgirl and this Electrocutioner were, the Martian flew quickly towards the battle.

Unfortunately, that brought on the attention of Firefly. "Quit you're runnin', Alien!" he shouted as he came diving through the air, giving chase as he fired his flamethrower. Dodging, J'onn noticed Hawkgirl suddenly change her flight heading right towards him at a higher altitude. Mindful to keep an eye on her, he noticed her suddenly diving down, her mace in her hands as it sparked with power. "Haaaaaa!" her war cry rang out, growing louder as she closed the distance between them.

J'onn twisted his body around in midair to get a look as Firefly noticed with surprise Hawkgirl's descent upon him. Pulling back, he narrowly stopped as the Thanagarian passed right in front of him, slamming her mace down on the ground and causing it to crater.

This provided the Martian with the time to put distance between the two, closing in on Electrocutioner. This new opponent realized J'onn was approaching him and raised both of his gauntleted hands, firing a blast of electricity at the approaching green-skinned man.

In response, J'onn altered his mass, making it lose it solidity. This caused him to drop from the air, his defining features vanishing as he landed in a pile of green goo on the ground. However, this didn't stop him from moving as he began stretching his formless body out, leaping on the ground over and over as Electrocutioner kept firing his electric blasts, landing none.

The moment he was in attacking distance, J'onn did so, wrapping himself around Electrocutioner's legs and going up. "What the?!" the man exclaimed before J'onn had him bound with his body, mindful of the gauntlets, however. For those, J'onn allowed his more humanoid form reform from his torso up. Grabbing Electrocutioner's arms, he held them tightly with his superior strength. Leaning over the man, J'onn stared into the man's bewildered eyes and lit his own orange ones up.

All it took was one moment for J'onn to enter his mind, the violation of the act causing Electrocutioner to outwardly scream in horror. Quickly finding the areas of the man's mind that held his consciousness, J'onn roughly shut them down, knocking the man out and stopping his screaming. Feeling Electrocutioner's body go limp, the Martian slowly unraveled his body from him until J'onn stood on his own two reformed feet, his new opponent lying on the ground defeated.

There, that was one of the Men of Death defeated. Now he could assist with the oth—

Right then, Firefly crashed into the ground nearby, his wings broken and the engine of his back smashed. One of his glass eyepieces was cracked and it appeared there were dents all over the armor. Yet, the man still retained consciousness as he slowly pushed himself up. "Ohhh, that didn't feel good," he said woozily.

That was when he saw J'onn and he seemed to light up. Quickly, he brought up his flamethrower and aimed it at the Martian. "I've got you now!" he shouted.

Only to have Hawkgirl dropped down on top of him, slamming both of her feet into his back and causing him to cry out in pain. That also caused his body to arch backwards from the blow, his flamethrower pointing up to the sky, which J'onn was grateful for. It also brought the weapon within grabbing distance of Hawkgirl, who shot a hand out and grabbed the long barrel. Squeezing her hand, the shrill scream of metal was made as she shut the barrel shut and made the flamethrower unusable.

As Firefly's body relaxed, the man fully lying on the ground, he tilted his head to look at his damaged weapon. "You bitch," he seethed. "I'll get you back for—"

Hawkgirl interrupted him as she casually stepped off him, picking a leg up and swinging it forward, kicking his head to a side and knocking him out cold. "And I'll give you a concussion for your troubles," she replied snidely before looking to J'onn. "You doing okay?"

"I will be fine," J'onn assured her. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Well, looks like our plan got complicated," the Thanagarian responded, gesturing to the scene around them. "If these guys were any indication of what the Seven Men of Death are like, then I think the others may need help."

The Martian was about to nod his agreement when he remembered Superman. "You're right. I must help Superman; he's in grave danger." Turning away, he shot towards the temple entrance. He didn't hear Hawkgirl's response, but he knew she would go lend her assistance elsewhere. For now, he hoped he could reach the Kryptonian before it was too late.

* * *

The goal was to go in for a quick knockout punch; that had been working so far. Imagine Flash's surprise when Griffin leaped up into the air, dodging the red-clad man as he raced by harmlessly, arm extended out due to his missed punch.

Retracting his arm, Flash kept running, making a U-turn a short distance away. By the time he was turned around, his opponent was falling back to the ground, facing the Fastest Man Alive with an arm extended out to his side. It was a weird look, but it was about then that Flash caught sight of three spinning ninja's stars practically on top of him.

""cuse me," he couldn't help but say as he jerked his head to a side, dodging one of the stars. Fortunately, the other two were off to his right and out of reach so he didn't worry about them. What he did focus on was Griffin landing back on the ground, crouching down before he began to stand back up.

This, of course, was all in slow motion to the Flash. In the blink of an eye, he was on Griffin, slamming into the man and picking him off the ground. As if the world were catching up to him, Griffin jerked back at normal speed—at least normal to Flash—hands grabbing onto the red-clad man's arms as Flash raced away from the army of ninjas.

"Alllll aboard the Flash Locomotive!" Flash quipped, running right towards a stone building. "Next stop: Painsville; population: you."

Griffin turned his head to look at the approaching building, eyes widening. Then he whipped right back around to glare at Flash. "I think not!" he shouted, shoving one of his hands in his face.

Immediately, Flash countered with his own arm, blocking his opponent's hand and shoving it to aside. "Now ain't the time to play Guess Who, Friend."

That proved very good for Flash as a green lightning bolt fired from Griffin's hand, striking the ground behind the two and sending an explosion of dirt flying into the air. "Whoa!" Flash exclaimed, pulling away from the sudden blast. This also caused him to veer away from the building he was running at, running along next to it and its neighbors. "Careful with that, you'll put someone's eye out with that!"

Griffin smirked at him as he raised his other than, more of those ninja stars. "That's the idea," he said snarkily.

While Flash expected the guy to try stabbing him with the shooting stars, he was surprised to see them break apart right in the hooded man's hand. Letting them go, the pieces of the stars pelted Flash in the face. Normally this wouldn't be a problem except he was was moving at the speed of sound and the metal pieces had begun slowing down their velocity the moment Griffin let go of them.

So as you can imagine, they hurt.

"Ahhhh!" Flash cried out as he let go of Griffin, shooting both hands to his face. Griffin ended up being brushed off to his side and what happened after that wasn't the red-clad man's concern. What was was the stinging pain in his face—seriously, that crap hurt!

And it was because of that, he didn't see the small, lonely rock in front of him. It was the only rock of its kind, not another one clear across the plaza. It was just barely sticking out of the ground, maybe an inch or two, so not very much.

So naturally, Flash ended up tripping over it.

"Woooaaahhhhhh!" the red-clad screamed as he was flung forward and crashed head first into the ground. Due to how fast he was going, he ended up skidding across it for a long damn time until he slowed to a stop. Man, what was it with him and getting his beautiful face hurt today? "Owww," he groaned as he slowly pushed himself up. At least his mask took the brunt of the damage, otherwise he'd be having to call in a few sick days.

Of course, when a guy's down, always leave it up to the bad guy to kick you while you're down—or in this case, hit you with a bolt of lightning while cackling with glee. Flash didn't hear the actually laughter, but he definitely felt the electricity hit him right in the back. A scream burst out of his mouth as he was shocked with 1.21 gigawatts of pain. Maybe Doc Brown would've come up with a better description, but all Flash was concerned with was that...it..._hurt!_

And then, mercifully, it ended, leaving Flash lying on the ground as smoke wafted off his body. A moan left his lips as he lay in the dirt, breathing ragged as he tried to recover.

"You know, I wasn't sure that I'd hit you when we first met," Griffin's voice called out. "But thanks to my eyesight, I was able to pick out when you started moving and based my actions there."

Okay, so, this guy had good vision? And he could jump really high. And shoot those lightning bolts. And break apart ninja stars in his hand. This guy was just a jumble of random abilities wasn't he? Wonder what else he had, super smelling? Well, Gryffindor here wasn't the only one with other powers.

Slowly turning his body so he could look behind him, Flash saw Griffin standing nearby, looking all pompous and stuff. "So, what else you got in your grabbag of abilities? Other than never needing reading glasses?"

That caused the hooded man to scowl. "If I wanted to, I could break every bone in your body. Would you like that?"

Oh boy, another strong guy. Seriously, did everyone have that power nowadays? Supes had a lot of people creeping in on his strongman territory. Good thing there were only _so_ many speedsters around.

And with that thought, Flash shot off the ground, taking off to his left before cutting left again. If Griffin was right about seeing him, then he undoubtedly was following Flash with his eyes. Well, let's see if he could see him after this. Running, the red-clad man began circling his opponent, kicking up dirt and dust in his wake. All the while, he saw Griffin staring at him until he jerked his head away, then again, and again. Ha! Lost him! Now…

Cutting away from his circle, Flash lashed out at Griffin, slamming his fist into the man's face and sending him flying off his feet and flying over several yards before crashing into the ground. Coming to a stop and casually shaking his head, Flash then crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his body relaxed. As the dirt cloud behind him dissipated, he watched Griffin slowly push himself on to his feet, though he was clearly feeling that punch Flash had given him.

"So, looks like you're not the only one with more than one power," Flash called out to him. "I guess I didn't tell ya I have a quite recovery time."

Back on his feet, Griffin turned to glare at the Fastest Man Alive. "That...will be the last blow you ever land on me."

Flash shot him a smirk. "I always did like a challenge."

* * *

Steel struck each other, filling the air with a familiar chime. Over and over, two blades struck each other, one always blocking the other. The wielders circled each other, one of which would drive in for a strike, only for it to be defended and parried to a side.

Sadly, the Detective had been on the offense for a majority of this showdown. While it was better than having to be attacked, all of his attacks had been effectively stopped by the Master and pushed aside; the Master had yet to launch a counterattack, content in allowing the black-clad man to attack to his heart's content.

In all of the sword duels the Detective had the pleasure of experiencing, this was the second with the Master and the first that the stakes were of such heights. The first had been a mere spar, where the Demon's Head had defeated him much like this, toying with his every strike before leaping at an opening when he was good and ready. No one had of yet defeated the black-clad man in such fashion before or hence.

Pulling back, he continued the steady circle he and the Master walked, keeping both of his hands on the sword hilt, the point aimed at his opponent's chest. In turn, the Master held his sword with one hand, body at a side in comparison to his frontward pose.

"You look tired, Detective," the Master spoke then. "Surely you still have more fight in you."

The Detective bared his teeth. He wanted to strike again, but held his stance, still carefully stepping around the circle. It was becoming quickly apparent the Master was just trying to wear him out before going for the killing stroke. That was fine, he would take advantage of this pause in the action and regroup, recovering his strength and breath while he considered a different tactic.

"Is that a no? They perhaps _I_ should make the next move."

Those words surprised him, but he was ready when the Master came at him, closing the distance between them with a thrust. In response, the Detective batted the sword point away, seeing an opening in the Master's defense. Without hesitation, he swung his sword forward, looking to slice open his opponent's chest.

With the twist and flicking of his wrist, the Master somehow got his blade between him and the Detective's blade, blocking and then parrying it. However, unlike the last time, the Master counterattacked, swiping his sword through the air and scrapping the point against his chest armor.

Instinct reared it's head in the Detective's head. Immediately, he swung his blade again, attempting another slash, yet again found the Master's sword much faster than his, blocking and parrying the blow.

However, instead of using his sword for another strike, the Master lunged at him, turning his body as he swung his empty fist up and landed an uppercut to the black-clad man's chin, snapping his head back. Dazed, he was left open for the Master to raise his leg and lash out with it, landing a hard kick to his abdomen. Instantly, his ribs screamed as searing pain raced through him. Damn it, he'd almost forgotten about his injured ribs. Backing away, the dark-clad man tried to regroup, an arm covering his tender body as he held his blade with one hand.

"You appear to be injured there," the Master observed, retaking his stance, his tone disapproving. "How foolish of you to think you could slay me with such a handicap."

He was right, it was foolish to attempt a coup against a man with centuries of combat experience under his belt when not at one hundred percent strength. The Detective would worry about that later though, it didn't change anything. He would just have to divert the Master's following attacks at a more tempting target.

Raising his free hand up, he grabbed the edge of his helmet and forced it off, revealing his sweat-covered face and shellacked dark hair. Tossing it to a side, he regarded his opponent with a heated stare. Surely the Demon's head couldn't resist going for a head strike. "It's not a handicap if you still beat your opponent," he grunted back.

"If that's what you believe." Again, the Master launched himself with lightning quick movements, the same thrust as before going right for the Detective's face. In response, the black-clad man shot his free arm up, using the tri-blades on his gauntlet to catch the blade, feeling the sword's edge scrape against the metal. Once more the Master was wide open, but this time he wouldn't be able to save himself with his sword. Letting out a war cry, the Detective swung his own weapon, the Master jumping backward to avoid it.

As his arm finished its swing though, the Detective dashed in, ramming his opponent with his shoulder and shoving the hilt of his sword against the man's ribs. A hiss came from the Master's immortal lips before he jumped away again, this time pulling his sword free and holding it between them. "A solid blow," he complimented the dark-haired man, "yet, it is a missed opportunity for you."

The Detective held back a derisive snort. Just from looking at the Master's breathing pattern, his body slam and the hilt jab to the ribs had winded him. This fight was far from over.

Holding back, he waited for the Master to make his next move. He too could play the waiting game and he wasn't disappointed when his opponent went at him.

This time, however, the Master came in with a slash, to which he blocked and parried. It was reminiscent of their earlier clash and the Detective was ready to take advantage. His eyes widened when he noticed the Master's sword whipped through the air until it was between the two men, point aimed directly at him before he could even attempt to counter. Dodging to a side, he avoided the Master's trust, only to have to drop his own blade down, holding it vertically to catch the sudden swing his opponent sent right from the extended position.

Surprisingly, the moment their blades clash, it was actually soft in comparison to their previous strikes. So astonished, he was left in a daze when the Master pulled his sword away and arced it up into the air, swinging it down towards the Detective's head. Maneuvering his sword, he blocked the high strike, eyes focused on the blade.

That was when he felt a solid blow in his ribs again, the Master slamming his foot into his body and sending him stumbling backwards. The Detective managed to catch his balance before he went tumbling into one of the pools, one with a tall rock formation in it. He had only broken eye contact with his opponent to make sure how much ground he had behind him, so he knew which way he had to dodge depending the Master's strike.

As it turned out, the next strike was a thrust. The Detective found that out when he turned his head and immediately felt a sword pierce through his armor and run through him.

A gasp tore from his lips, a sense of disbelief covering his face before his body acknowledged the foreign pieces of steel entering his abdomen and exiting out his back. Slightly dazed, he looked down and confirmed the sword hilt and a portion of the bottom of the sword sticking out of him. Blood was leaking out, flowing over the steel and dripping off to the ground below.

"As I recall, when you requested this armor, you wished it were made of multiple plates instead of one continuous piece," his Master's voice spoke, slowly beginning to fade. A mysterious warmth began welling up inside of the Detective, dulling his senses. "For mobility and flexibility, I believe you said. Of course, in order for that, there had to be some separation between the plates. How...unfortunate for you."

The blade dug into him, which sent an excruciating amount of pain racing through his body, forcing the Detective to awaken from the warm, dull feeling that had been washing over him. "It really is a misfortune, you ending this way," the Master continued to lament. "I had such high hopes for you and like all of my other followers, you disappoint me at the end."

He then leaned closer to the Detective's head, mouth next to his ear so the Demon's Head could whisper his next words. "Do not fear though, I will not snatch the life out of my daughter. She will live long after your demise; yet, I must teach her to be wary of whom she gives her allegiance to. That is a lesson that appears to be needed once more."

Pulling away, the Master's voice raised as he declared, "Though you go to meet your fate, know that you will at least serve me once last time." Then, in one fluid movement, the Master raised his leg and pressed it right beneath his sword. With a push, he kicked the Detective back, pulling his sword free and leaving the black-clad man to fall into the pool behind him. The water swallowed him whole, splashing up before falling back down.

Slowly, the Detective sank further and further from the surface, his mind beginning to shut down. The blue waters around him were beginning to mix with the red of his blood, creating a rather colorful image before his failing eyes. Had he been in any other situation, he would've paused to admire it for a moment; right now all he could think of was his last, stinging defeat.

That would be the last thought he ever had as a searing, scorching feeling ignited within and around his body. His vision turning a fiery blue as he felt flames erupt from his eyes and out of his mouth. So this was his end, the closing act of the Demon's Head's Detective.

How...regretful...


	27. Through The Eyes Of A Goddess

_"Vladimir Mashkov, we need to talk."_

_"Do you know what it's like, living with those kinds of people?"_

_"You! Why do you continue to resist?!"_

**What is this?**

_"Gotham is beyond saving—I've already told you this."_

_"Now don't be hasty!"_

_"Sometimes, some people are beyond helping."_

_"Why? Why would you do this to yourself?"_

**How intriguing...  
**

* * *

Diana sucked in as much air as she could before letting it out in an explosive pant, gasping over and over. Her body was cut all over, from her shoulders and arms, down her torso to her legs. And she also had to deal with the disoriented effect Count Vertigo kept directing at her.

No matter how many times she tried to adjust to the nausea and the spinning world around her, she found herself on the losing end of Vertigo's blade as it sliced into her. It had come quickly apparent that the man was toying with her, content to sting her with shallow cuts. He appeared to be enjoying himself as Diana vainly tried to attack him, only to receive another sharp stab to a portion of her body.

Standing next to one of the downed helicopters, the Amazon leaned against it, trying to stay on her feet. Not too far away stood her opponent, who regarded her with a casual confidence, as if he held her fate in his hands—which to an extent he did she was loathe to admit. He was just waiting for the right moment to end it all.

Not that Diana would give him the chance.

"You are relentless, Vonder Voman," the blond man remarked. "But your strength vanes the longer you keep this up. Your end is rushing to you regardless if you embrace it or not."

Glaring, Diana pressed her hand against the side of the helicopter, her fingers digging into it and causing the metal plating to bend and twist against her palm. An idea hit her then. If close quarters was not the way to defeat this man, then she could surely crush him with one of the remains of one of the helicopters. Quickly, she placed her other hand lower on the vehicle's hull and heaved it up into the air, holding it over her head.

Suddenly, the disorienting effect became stronger, Vertigo's visible eye hardening as he watched her. Face twisting in discomfort, Diana hurled the helicopter at the man; unfortunately she put too much strength into the throw and sent it flying clear over the man's head, the helicopter crashing somewhere behind the blond man.

"Your persistence is beginning to vear on me, Amazon," Vertigo said disapprovingly. "I believe vhatever challenge you vere is finished. Say your final rites and prepare for your demise."

Dizzily, Diana dropped to her knees, though not of her own will. Leaning over, she held herself off the ground, spewing out the last bit of contents in her stomach, dry heaving noisily. It hadn't been the first time she had vomited since this fight began, but it would be the last since she had nothing else to throw up. Sweat running down her face, she closed her eyes to prevent a sweat drop from running over her eyeballs.

And then, she slowly began to feel better. It was slow at first, to where Diana thought her mind was making it up. Gradually, even the darkness behind her eyelids began to stop spinning, her nausea fading away as her mind began to reorient herself. It was a relief to feel this way, she had to admit.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught her ears then, gravel and dirt being kicked and crunched with every step. She felt a presence close by, if not right in front of her, followed by the sound of air brushing up against something moving fast.

Instinctively, Diana shot an arm up, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing out, her bracer stopping something steel. The Amazon felt her arm jerk against the blow—a sword strike—but held firm. Steeling her face, she forced the blade off her arm, hearing a gasp come in front of her.

It seemed she may have found a way to even the playing field.

_Artemis, guide my hand,_ Diana prayed, focusing on her hearing for the next strike. She heard it coming from above her head, to which the Amazon shot both arms up, crossing them against each other and catching the blade at their intersecting point.

She heard a growl then, Vertigo shouting, "You cannot resist, Amazon!" The blade then left her arms, a whirling sound being made as he went for...a side sweep. Dropping both arms, Diana moved her left out and held firmly as the sword collided with her bracer. The sword bounced off of it, attempting to...strike...her on her head again. This time Diana raised her other hand, performing a high block to stop the strike successfully.

Withdrawing again, this time the wind went quiet even as Vertigo shifted his feet. He was...turning to a side, the tightening of ligaments and tendons indicating he was drawing his sword arm inward. Recognizing the pose, Diana waited for the the impending thrust, holding herself still until she heard Vertigo's coiled body lash out.

Instantly, the Amazon ducked her right as the thrust passed by harmlessly, holding her arm out to prevent a surprise sideswipe. Leaning further onto her right leg, Diana kicked out with her left leg, sweeping it over the ground and making contact with the the side of Vertigo's front foot and kicking it out from under him. A shocked gasp came from his mouth as he stumbled backwards to regain his balance. Diana drew her leg back and regained her center of gravity, keeping herself crouched.

The dark-haired woman was starting to feel better about herself. Not only could she defend herself, but now she could confidently land an offensive attack if she so wished. The effects of Vertigo's strange power had all but left her, but she was no fool. She would fight blind and rely on her other senses to carry her to victory. After all, she did have enhanced hearing.

"So, you believe keeping your eyes closed vill help you?" Vertigo demanded angrily. "Vell then, let's see them help you now!"

His tightening muscles and tendons told her Vertigo was reaching to his belt, metal sliding against leather informing her that he was withdrawing something. A clicking sound told her all she needed to know, since it could only be one thing: a gun. That was confirmed a second later when a gunshot was fired, a bullet screaming through the air.

Jerking an arm up, she blocked the shot, causing it to bounce off and land in the dirt. _Damn, not where it should have gone._ Fortunately, her opponent was more than willing to give her a second chance as another gunshot rang out.

This time, the Amazon adjusted her arm, angling it just right as she move it in the second bullet's path, feeling it ping against her bracer and then ricochet off. This one rang true as she heard Vertigo cry out in pain an instant later, the bullet hitting him in the foot, possibly his lower leg. It was close enough considering the blond man collapsed onto the ground, landing on his ass and rolling onto his back.

The sword and gun hit the ground too, if the two different sounds of lighter objects landing on the dirt were any indication. Immediately, Diana launched herself through the air, landing right in front of Vertigo. Shooting her hands out, she grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him up into the air, the Amazon standing as well as she held him off the ground, his feet dangling below.

For a second, Diana held him up there, feeling his hands grabbing onto her arms desperately. Then she lowered him down, feeling his breath on her face as she held him at arm level. "I believe whatever challenge you were is finished," she quoted, hearing Vertigo choke on his breath.

"N-no, vait, we can—"

Drawing her head back, she then swung it forward, slamming it against his forehead with enough force to knock him out. Immediately she felt his body go limp in her hands and she opened her eyes, seeing Vertigo's own rolling back into his skull unconscious. Dropping him to the ground, she immediately noticed that she didn't feel sick to her stomach. So, with Vertigo out, that wasn't a problem anymore.

It was then she felt a tremble beneath her feet, causing her to look curiously at the ground. What had caused that, she wondered.

However, the sudden roar of gunfire caught her ear, making her lift her head up to see assassins from the Demon's Fang closing in on her, firing their weapons at her. Well, if they wished to continue fighting, then far be it from her to disappointment them.

* * *

_"You're taking on a great burden, Master Bruce, but it is not one you should carry on your own."_

_"Who is the man behind the bat?"_

_"Why are you dressed like this? Why a bat?"_

_ "I told you, it's not Hagan! It's Clayface!"_

**You have done much.**

_"You're losing yourself, Fries. You've lost sight of the real bad guys."_

_"Not a clue, eh heh. I imagine the 6 o'clock news will have a body count done. I can't wait to hear the final tally!"_

_"That won't happen. You can't get rid of me that easily."_

_"That's not all I'm going to break."_

**Met so many people.**

_"Greetings Gotham! Joker here!"_

_"I need a lot of things. What makes you think I need your help?"_

_"You can call me the Penguin—e'erybody else does."_

_"My current title is of little significance, but if you must know me by one, you may call me…Hush."_

**How bothersome.**

* * *

Superman gasped, back pressed against one of the floor support beams. Faintly, he could hear Whisper prowling around, searching for the Man of Steel. The sick feeling he felt from the Kryptonite had lesson due to the distance between him and the gem-cut stones, allowing him to recover somewhat.

To say this was a lopsided fight would be an understatement. Usually, he was the one with the fight tipped heavily in his favor, but this time he was on the opposite side and he couldn't say he liked it all that much. Powers weakened, they weren't nearly enough to make Whisper think twice when attacking. The only reason the Kryptonian had this reprieve was because Whisper had thrown him through a support beam, causing that part of the floor above them to collapse between them. This bought him some time to get away and regroup.

Peeking around the beam, Superman caught sight of Whisper's back a long distance away, his head looking this way and that. This was the first opening he had seen all fight, even if the large man had his guard up constantly. Flicking his eyes up to the floor above him, Superman focused on his heat vision, his eyes turning red before he fired the heat beats. Making a circle with the beams, he soon cut a hole in the floor, causing it to fall down right on top of Whisper, the man crumbling as he was slammed with wood, stone, and who knows what.

Sucking in his breath, Superman moved out his hiding place and blew hard, gale force winds raging from his lips towards the pile of rubble. However, now that he was out of range of the Kryptonite, the freezing effect of his breath returned, ice beginning to form on the surrounding support beams even as the debris pile froze.

Finishing, Superman stared at his handiwork, finally beginning to relax. That should've taken care of the big gorilla. Walking towards it, the Kryptonian kept his eyes on it, half-expected Whisper to suddenly break out of the ice and attack. That didn't happen of course, though he did start to feel the effects of the Kryptonite as he drew closer. Stopping, he showed his discomfort on his face and then proceeded to back off a step. He had been hoping to try and fly out the hole he had made and prevent further damage, but that was proving to not be the wise choice. It looked like he was gonna have to—

Then, just as he had fantasized, a large, Kryptonite-laden fist burst out of the ice, sending shards flying everywhere. A moment later, Whisper's hulking body tore through the ice, eyes filled with rage as he launched himself at the Man of Steel.

_Damn, I hate it when I'm right._

Instinctively, Superman backed off, dodging a wild punch, only to realize that Whisper had used that as a feint to distract him from closing the distance between them. A second fist came flying and rammed into the side of Superman's face, jerking his head to a side and just in time to have another fist slam into it.

As his face whipped through the air from the blow, he soon found his head being grabbed by one of Whisper's large hands. The next thing he knew, the large man swung Superman to a side, smashing his head against one of the ice-covered support beams. Feeling the ice shatter from the blow, the Kryptonian gritted his teeth as he repressed the urge to cry out in pain. Of course, Whisper couldn't end his onslaught there as he pulled Superman away from the damaged beam and twisted his body to a side, swinging his arm and letting go of the Man of Steel, hurling him through the air.

The next thing Superman knew, his back crashed into yet another support beam, cracking it and and nearly breaking it in two. Instead, the pieces barely held onto each other, the opposite side of the beam ripping open as it began leaning in the direction. The floor above began to cave in, but held due to the minimal amount of support the ruined post was providing.

Slumping down to the ground, the Man of Steel found himself breathing hard again. Damn Kryptonite, it just kept sapping his strength, leaving him at the mercy of Whisper. Faintly, he could feel heavy heavy footsteps approaching him until he saw two bare feet in front of him. Tilting his head up, Whisper stood before him. "You are finished," he harshly whisper, raising a hand up. "May you find peace in the next life."

Superman steeled himself to the coming hit, though he never took his eyes away from his opponent. He would see the finishing blow come for him, even if it took a hundred of them.

However, before Whisper could swing, a green-skinned hand grabbed the large man's wrist, an arm wrapping around his throat as J'onn enraged face appeared over his shoulder. "That is enough!" the Martian shouted before he pulled Whisper back, twisting his body to throw the large man through the air much as he had Superman earlier.

Watching Whisper fly away, Superman began to feel better once again. Yet, Whisper wasn't one to let an unexpected flight get the best of him. In midair he twisted and turned his body until he was flying backwards, his feet coming into contact with a wooden support beam. Pushing off, he bounced off the beam and flew back through the air, landing on the ground in a run a short moment later, racing towards J'onn.

Staring down the charging man with what the Kryptonian could honestly say was the first scowl he'd ever seen on the Martian's face, J'onn raised a hand up, the hand growing bigger and elongating until formed a large hammer. Whisper obviously saw this and seemed to slow down his pace, attempting to try a different tactic maybe. Whatever it was, it never got to be implemented as J'onn lunged at the man, slamming the face of the large hammer down on top of Whisper and smashing him to the ground.

Raising his hammer hand up, J'onn brought it down once more for good measure, the ground around Whisper breaking and cracking from the blow. Pulling back, the hammer morphed back to J'onn's normal hand, the Martian staring at the fallen man before turning to look at Superman. "Are you alright, my friend?" he asked calmly, as if he hadn't beaten down another man.

"I will be once I get away from that Kryptonite," Superman answered, slowly getting back to his feet. J'onn calmly walked up to him, and offered a hand, to which the Kryptonian accepted. Soon, Superman had an arm hanging around the Martian's shoulders, J'onn wrapping his arm around the Man of Steel's back for support.

Both men began to float in the air then, making their way to one of the holes in the floor above them. "So, did you get Ra's?" Superman asked.

"I do not know," J'onn answered, the two entering a room. "I was forced to fight the other Man of Death, Firefly. I haven't seen any remains for Batman, so I assume he's either recovering from any injuries he incurred from Firefly, or he went on ahead."

"Then that's where we need to go."

The Martian shook his head. "We need to get you into sunlight as soon as possible. I will go lend any assistance that man needs once you are safely away from the Kryptonite."

"If that's the way it's going to be, fine," Superman grunted. "We'll just have to take the other way then."

"Other way?" J'onn questioned.

Superman gave him a smirk. "We fly above."

That caused the Martian to smile back, nodding his head. "Very well."

* * *

**You have been hurt.**

_"You're not sorry, Wayne. Not yet."_

_"In the place where evil lives."_

_"Die, you freak, die!"_

_"You look like a capable young man, but I have no interest in taking on a student. Go away."_

**Torn asunder.**

_"Every time you've gone up against this guy, you come back more and more messed up. He's getting to you in your head and you're letting him. You have to stop that, or the next time he'll do something so horrific, you won't be able to help anyone!"_

_"I'm always six steps ahead! Always! Me! Not you, you spoiled brat!"_

_"Leave him alone!"_

_"You can't save everyone. Even you will know failure."_

**How I pity you.**

* * *

When Flash said he liked a challenge, he wasn't lying. When you could move as fast as he could, there wasn't much you couldn't do, aside from flying around the world fast enough to go back in time.

Dashing to and fro, the red-clad man turned his head to see the green lightning bolt chasing him, destroying the ground in its wake. Looking away, Flash focused on the corner of one of the buildings, where Griffin stood, having leapt up there just a little earlier. He'd taken to using one continuous bolt, following Flash as he led it along a destructive path.

Honestly, this was getting boring. He was used to outrunning dangerous attacks and gadgets, but they could only entertain you for so long. It was getting about that time where he foiled the bad guy's plan and hogtied them so they couldn't get away. Unfortunately he didn't see any thing to tie Griffin up, so that was providing him a prob—

Well, hello.

Up ahead, Flash saw a belltower, a long rope hanging down from the bell. That would work just fine. Fortunately, it was behind a building, which would put him out of Griffin's sights; that would let him retrieve the rope without having to worry about racing up and down the tower as it fell apart.

In no time flat, he raced at the tower, disappearing from Griffin's sight and causing the lightning bolt to explode on the building's corner. Reaching the belltower, Flash ran up its side, not bothering to use the ladder, arriving at the top and finding where the end of the rope was tied to the bell's axis. He then untied the knot and gathered up the rope into thick loops around his right arm and shoulder. Running back down the tower, he then shot out back into the open, seeing Griffin still standing where he had been.

Of course, that caused the man to fire another electric bolt. Again, Flash got out of its way and made his way to Griffin's vantage point. When he reached the building's side, he put a foot right on the stone surface, his world rotating as the structure's wall became the "ground" for him. Running, he dashed towards the top, shooting up in front of a surprised Griffin. Seeming to hang in midair in front of the guy, Flash then whipped out a leg, slamming a kick to the man's face and sending him flying across the rooftop.

The moment Griffin landed back on the roof, skidding a short distance until he came to a stop, Flash was on top of the guy. Pulling him up into a sitting position, the red-clad man ran circles around him, wrapping his thick rope around him until he reached the end, finishing it off in a pretty...scratch that, manly bow. Because he was a manly kind of guy.

Finally coming to a stop, Flash dusted his hands off. Well, that should take care of this guy. "And that's a wrap," he couldn't help but quip, smiling widely at his creativeness.

Griffin seemed dazed by his new predicament before he turned his head and scowled at the red-clad man. "You must be joking."

"Well, I was a little," he admitted. "But not about you being done."

The scowl fell from the hooded man's face, being exchanged for one that said, "Are you serious?" Without a word, Griffin then began to strain, his face slowly turning red as the sound of rubbing ropes was made. Then, a loud _snap!_ was made and the rope loosen, falling off the man's body.

It took Flash a moment to realize what had happened before he rolled his eyes. That's right, he had super strength too. What a drag. By the time he looked back at Griffin, the man had both of his hands raised, a green glow appearing on his palms.

Immediately, Flash took off to his left, a giant bolt of lightning flying by where he had been standing. Changing course, Flash began racing towards his opponent's side, intending to hit the man a lot harder this time. Despite all his bragging, he sure didn't take a hit very well.

Unfortunately, the man's strength wasn't the only thing to slip the red-clad man's mind. Griffin's sharp eyes followed him as he ran, allowing him to pulling his right arm away and point it point blank at Flash, another gathering of green electricity appearing ready to be fired.

Eyes widening, Flash did the only thing he could possibly think of doing at the moment—other than getting hit by lightning. That was always a choice, ya know. Vibrating his body until the very atoms of his body were separately moving at the speed of sound, if not faster, he then watched as Griffin fired his attack, the green lightning hitting him and then promptly going through him. It was a strange feeling, Flash had to admit, the feeling that his own atomic structure was becoming more excited due to the voltage of the blast.

He didn't stop there though, the red-clad man continuing to vibrate as he passed right through Griffin, causing the man to look surprised. Flash didn't stop until he reached the other side, finally slowing himself down to come to a stop.

"Oh, oh God, that was weird!" he exclaimed, body wiggling in discomfort. Then an even more disturbing thought him him. "I was just in another man...oh Jesus." Turning around to look at a disturbed-looking Griffin, he said, "Please tell me that was weird for you too."

Griffin looked at him, looking as if he were about to agree when he seemed to mentally shake it off and threw a punch at Flash. Reacting instantly, the red-clad ma caught the fist and immediately began spinning around, jerking the hooded man off the roof and swinging him around at superspeed.

Releasing his grip, Flash sent the man flying through the air and off the building, Griffin crashing into a building just across the street. The force in which he hit the building's wall caused him break the stone, creating a spider's web of cracks around him. In fact, if Flash wasn't mistaken, it looked as if Griffin were stuck to the wall, forming a human-shaped crater.

Frowning, the red-clad man stared at the sight before running over to it, first down his own building and then up Griffin's new one. Reaching the roof and moving to a spot just above the man's head, the Fastest Man Alive knelt down and called out, "Hey man, you okay? Raise your hand if you're unconscious."

After waiting awhile, Flash found himself torn. Griffin hadn't raised his hand, so he wasn't sure if he was unconscious. But the fact that he wasn't responding meant he wasn't conscious either. What a quandary.

Standing up, Flash crossed his arms over his chest, smiling wide. "Well, I think I'll chalk this one up to another Flash victory."

Suddenly, he nearly went falling off the side of the building when a violent tremor occurred, causing him to wave his hands around to regain his balance. Below him, along the dirt street a large crack broke apart the earth, a sickly green light pouring through the gap.

Well, that couldn't be good.

* * *

_"Why did you leave us, Bruce?"_

_"He was your friend. You wanted to see the best in him."_

_"Al…fred…Alfred!"_

_ "This entire city is rotting around us, changing good people into the very evil you and I have been fighting. It has to be stopped."_

**You have lost so much.**

_"This madness ends now!"_

_"A journey awaits you tonight, through peaks and valleys, the strange and derange, and hopefully a happily ever after."_

_ "You cannot blame yourself for the faults in others."_

_"Good. And Franco, now isn't a good time to be lying to me."_

**Yet you have**** persevered.**

_"I thought you should know, since you saved her. To know what's going on with someone you saved."_

_ "I helped you out, remember? We're in this together whether you like it or not!"_

_"So you want to know why I go out and bust heads like you do? That's why. Because you're changing how these criminals feel about Gotham."_

_"You don't get it, do you?! I can't lose you too, not after today."_

**There is still much for you to do.**

* * *

John was finding himself in a very tough position. Figuring that long distance attacks were giving Ricochet plenty of time to react and absorb the attacks, the Lantern had gone into close quarters, attempting to beat the man in hand-to-hand combat.

That plan was currently not working. With one hand gripping one of Ricochet's gauntlets, the other holding a green sword, John was watching with strained eyes as the man gripped the construct tightly and absorbed the energy it gave off. Stubborn, John kept pouring more of his will to maintain the sword, but was beginning to think that was a bad idea. Looking to Ricochet, the man looked positively insane, drinking up the energy greedily as he stared back at the Lantern maniacally.

And all the while, his ring kept telling him how much power he had left. _74 percent…73 percent...72 percent…_

At this rate, it may take awhile, but his opponent could drain his ring and leave him helpless. That was not a good thing.

Suddenly, Ricochet pulled back, letting go of John sword, much to his surprise. He backed away then before pointing his hand point blank at the Lantern, the round circle on his palm glowing bright with white light. Hissing, John released his hold on the man and dropped his sword construct, trying to leap out of the way of the impending blast.

Unfortunately, he acted too late as a white blast of energy slammed into him, burning him as it carried him towards the edge of the building, John crying out in pain. Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to keep moving until he fell off the front of the blast, collapsing within an inch of the end of the roof. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the beam fly off towards the horizon.

Turning his head back, John gasped as he saw Ricochet in midair, leaping at him with a raised fist descending on the dark-skinned man. Instinctively, John pointed his ring hand at the man and shot a green beam, the light forming into a hand that grabbed onto Ricochet's wrist. Pushing back, he forced Ricochet backwards and high into the air, putting distance between them.

Naturally, the man used his other hand to grab the hand construct and begin absorbing it, breaking the construct apart as John stopped fueling his will into it. With the hand gone, Ricochet began falling back down to the roof, landing on it roughly on both feet.

This was getting insane. No matter what he threw at the man, he would defeat it and then use it against John, each blast more powerful than the last. If it weren't for the green aura his ring provided him, he'd be more hurt than he already was. Unfortunately, while John had been able to land some blows, Ricochet didn't look the least bit winded; in fact, he looked as if he wanted more.

"So, you can do all sorts of things with that ring," Ricochet called out, flexing his fingers and relaxing them before repeating the action again. "I wonder what else you can do if you put your imagination to it."

_More than you think,_ John thought, but he had to admit, he hadn't been doing much imagining during the fight. He tended to be very straightforward in his thinking, so that limited what he was instinctively able to do in battle. It wasn't until he was backed into a corner that he'd tried to think outside the box, though even then he'd fall back on the basics of shield and energy blast. He could blame the military for drilling creative thinking out of his head later though.

It was then he noticed something behind Ricochet. It was a figure with large wings, holding something over its head. It took John a moment to realize it was Hawkgirl, helped by the fact that she let out a war cry as she came flying down on Ricochet.

John's looking and the shout made Ricochet realize that something was coming at him, causing him to spin around just in time to dodge Hawkgirl's swing. Shooting an arm up, he blocked the Thanagarian's backswing, grunting from the collision. However, that didn't stop him from slugging Hawkgirl in the face with his other hand, snapping her head to a side.

Completing the swing of the punch, Ricochet then sent a backhand to the winged woman, followed by another punishing blow with his other hand that sent Hawkgirl fling away from him and off to John's left.

Quickly, John fired a green beam, hitting the flying Thanagarian and causing her to stop her flight. Reeling her end, he lowered her to the ground, the woman pressing a hand to the side of her head as she shook it to rid herself of any stars. All the while, John let his will dissipate and the green glow fade away from her.

"Oh ho! Looks like I got me two victims!" Ricochet exclaimed excitedly. Balling his hands up, he began walking towards them confidently. "This must be my lucky day!"

"Alright, what's his damage?" Hawkgirl asked as she got onto her feet.

"Energy absorber," John informed her gruffly. "I've had my hands full as you can see."

"How is he absorbing it?" the Thanagarian questioned. "If I had to guess, it'd be that thing on his chest."

"That and his hands. He also can fire whatever he absorbs and I'll warn you, they've been getting stronger each time he does it."

The winged woman was quiet for a moment, staring at Ricochet as she seemed to contemplate something. "That thing on his chest and the gauntlets, they're connected. So that means this power of his is mechanical."

"Getting at something?" John inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Just that if it's a machine we're dealing with, then perhaps it has a limit to how much energy it can take. Unless he's got a bunch of batteries hidden somewhere on his body, we could just overload his gear."

That didn't sound like a bad idea, but John felt that was taken a very big gamble on the chance that Ricochet did have a reachable limit. However, that was when he remembered Ricochet letting go of his sword construct to fire that attack. Was it simply to catch the Lantern off guard when he could've just kept hanging on until he drained the ring, or did he have to release that energy? Perhaps that was a stretch, but he was beginning to want to find out.

"You go high while I distract him with a frontal assault," John said to Hawkgirl.

A smirk appeared on Hawkgirl's lips as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Aye, aye, Sergeant."

John returned the look. "That's Captain to you."

"Captain, huh? I'll be sure to remember that." She then gave him a mock salute before edging away from him.

Taking that as his cue, John rushed towards Ricochet as the man settled into a defensive stance. Gathering as much will as he could into his ring, seeing a bright green light appear over his fist, John thrust his arm out in front of him and fired a large green blast at his opponent. In response, Ricochet let the beam hit him on the chest, once again beginning to absorb the energy. "You just don't get it, do you?" the man shouted.

Of course, this blinded him to Hawkgirl flying off to John's right, Ricochet's left. Turning, she began closing in on the man, mace held high as it began to crackling to life with electricity. "Haaaaaa!" she cried out.

As she swung her mace, Ricochet suddenly turned his head towards her, shooting a hand up and catching the weapon on the head. That was John's first indication that Hawkgirl hadn't swung with her full might, considering that the blow should've ripped the man's hand off. The Lantern didn't fail to note that the electricity that surrounded Hawkgirl's mace began to be sucked into the gauntlet. She didn't let up though, fueling more and more of the weapon's power and causing more electricity to appear.

Checking his ring, John found he had let out more power than he thought during this assault. _67 percent...66 percent...65 percent._ That was alright, he still had enough to make this work and then some.

Unfortunately, Ricochet still had a free hand, which he began moving to aim at Hawkgirl. Widening his eyes, John began shifting his some of his will to his free hand, pointing it Ricochet and firing a small, green beam. While John didn't normally do this, mostly because it was more difficult to channel his power out of something other than his ring, right now he didn't have much of a choice if his and Hawkgirl's plan was to work. Thankfully, Ricochet caught sight of the second beam, which forced the man to change his plan and reached out for the blast, catching it and immediately began absorbing it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ricochet shouted. Ignoring him, John continued to pour more and more will into his blasts, his ring counting down its charge. _61 percent...60 percent...59 percent..._

Powering on, John didn't see any changes between the standoff, no matter how much power he put into the attack. _58 percent...57 percent...56 percent…_ Hawkgirl didn't look all that concerned as she kept her mace electrified, even as the voltage was just as quickly absorbed into Ricochet's gauntlet.

However, despite his green beam hitting the device on Ricochet's chest, John couldn't help but notice how it began shining a soft red color, growing stronger with every passing second until it was a bright, urgent red. Their plan was working! Calling upon more will, he fed even more to his blasts. _54 percent...53 percent...52 percent..._

Ricochet seemed to notice this too. "That's...enough...out of you two," he growled and tried to withdraw his hand from John's second beam, only to have the Lantern follow him. Annoyed, he tried to throw off Hawkgirl's mace, but she wasn't having any of it, following his hand with the electrified weapon as he tried to shake it off. _48 percent...47 percent...46 percent..._

"Hey, stop it! Stop it!" the man shouted, a hint of fear in his voice.

"You wanted energy," John yelled back. "Have as much of it as you want!" _44 percent...43 percent...42 percent..._

By then, the chest device as radiating the red color before electricity began dancing on it. That led to electric bolts working their way along the cables, going up and down the man's arms until they reached the gauntlets. No!" Ricochet screamed.

And then it finally blew. The absorption devices gave out, exploding before John's green blasts hit Ricochet with full force. Hawkgirl pulled back, ripping her mace from the man's hand as he went flying off the building. Stopping his blasts, John watched as Ricochet dropped out of sight, Hawkgirl shooting up into the air to watch. "He landed on the next building!" she shouted. "About two stories down! He...he's down for the count!"

John sighed as he dropped his arms to his sides, straightening out his posture. That had taken more than he thought it would. That was another Man of Death down, assuming Hawkgirl had dealt with another.

Shaking those thoughts away, his body was covered in a green aura. There was still more work to be done. They still had a fight to finish.

* * *

**It is time.**

_"What I've always told you, I was keeping a promise."_

_"Who are you kidding, Batsy? We've only just begun!"_

_ "That's a shame, Tommy. Because all I have to be is one!"_

_"Please, let me do something to help. Anything."_

**Open your eyes.**

_"Whatever you say, old friend."_

_ "Perhaps when this is all over, we can meet again—assuming that you survive."_

_ "I am always six steps ahead."_

_"But it will never change that you are Bruce Wayne, always and forever."_

**You still have much work to do.**

* * *

Ra's gazed at the pool, it's disturbed waters beginning to settle. It was a bittersweet moment for him, considering how much hope he had placed in the fallen Detective. He certainly had many of the characteristics to become the Demon's Head, but now it seemed like a waste.

Turning away, he began to walk back towards the temple to resume the search for the Fountain of Life. At the very least, despite his disappointment, the Detective showed him one more pool that was not the Fountain.

Yet, he still had an issue that required resolving. His daughter had attempted to usurp him and that could not go unpunished, even if it were part of his own mechanizations. In fact, he viewed it as a teaching moment for Talia to plot her future attempts, ones that would be more successful, if not more covert.

For now, he needed to wash his hands of this matter, along with cleansing his sword of the unworthy blood that stained it.

The sound of water stirring caught his ear then. Stopping, Ra's frowned. There was only one source of water here and thus only that place for the sound to be made. A glance to Ubu and his men told him they all were seeing it and it was Ubu's shocked face that told him something was amiss. Spinning around, Ra's faced the pools, quickly locating the sounds source.

His eyes widened at what he saw before him. Standing in the pool was the Detective, rivets of water dripping off of him. One of his hands was pressed against the rock formation behind him, using it to steady his body, the other hand held low in front of him, the fingers flexed like an animal's claw. His dark hair clung to his head, though it did nothing to disguise the pure rage that shown from his face. Then the Detective opened his mouth.

"_RAAAAAAAAAA'S!"_

* * *

The last scene is based on a panel in the Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul. In it, Batman and Ra's were facing one of Ra's former underlings, the Sensei, who thoroughly thrashed the two. The fight ended with Batman and Sensei falling into the Fountain of Life, the latter of whom burst into flames. The former, on the other hand, emerged from the pool much like Bruce does here and he is the epitome of pissed. I can't tell y'all how long I've had that very image in my head the moment I planned this scene ever sense the beginning of The Ninth Circle. So yeah, that's quite a while.


	28. The Return Of Bruce Wayne

Anger. Rage. Madness. It all threatened to consume Bruce. A torrent of endless thoughts, emotions, and memories washed over him, threatening to consume him whole. Yet, in that swirling chaos, he had one point on which he could focus his energies, one that stood out clearly and without prejudice.

Ra's al Ghul.

His puppet master.

His villain.

He didn't charge, he just stepped out of the pool, taking long strides towards his foe as water trickled and dripped from his body. Ra's watched him stoically, sword at his side relaxed. Bruce wasn't fooled though; in an instant the old man could strike even in such a lax guard. In fact, he counted on it.

"It seems you've returned to the land of the living, Detective," Ra's greeted him, fulling facing the approaching man. "You do me a service in discovering the—"

Bruce didn't let him finish as he lunged the last few feet between him and the man, arm raised to attack. Realizing what was happening, Ra's reacted by swinging his sword up to defend himself.

Using his raised arm, the young man brought it down and caught the sword with his triangle blades. Pressing forward, he felt Ra's blade screech against his gauntlet until it hit the hilt. Raising up his other arm, he slammed his fist into the man's face, snapping his head to a side as spit flew from his mouth.

As his fist completed its swing, Bruce jabbed his arm forward, ramming his elbow into Ra's cheek, causing the older man to lose his balance and fall over backwards. Unfortunately, Bruce had pressed his advantage too far and went down as well, landing on top of him.

However, Ra's was not one to take a beating without putting up a fight. Before he knew it, Bruce felt Ra's move his arms inward and then push them against the black-clad man's chest, forcing the young man off the Demon's Head, his legs getting into the act by kicking out and pushing him further away. Due to his momentum, Bruce was thrown into flip, coming down on the ground on the back of his head and top of his shoulders. Swinging his body down, Bruce rolled with the throw, popping back onto his feet and spinning around to face his opponent.

Before he could continue though, something rammed into the side of the black-clad man, hulking arms wrapping around him and carrying away from Ra's. "Infidel!" the man shouted, one Bruce recognized as Ubu. Struggling, the dark-haired man forced his arms out of the larger man's hold, holding them out wide before swinging them down, slapping his hands sharply against Ubu's ears hard.

Ubu hollered at the sharp, disorienting pain he felt, releasing his grip as he grabbed at his ears. Of course, due to his new focus he lost his balance as he stepped awkwardly, falling head first to the ground. The moment Bruce had a foot on the ground, he danced out of the way of the falling man, watching as Ubu fell. Immediately, he marched up to the larger man, who began pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. Clasping his hands together and holding them above his head, the moment Bruce stood at the large man's side, he sent them flying down, jackhammering Ubu on the back of his neck and causing him to collapse once more.

Sparing a glare at Ubu, Bruce then turned around and faced Ra's once more, whom was back on his feet, holding his sword at his side as he returned the look. There was a noticeable trickle of blood from the corner of the man's mouth, though he didn't seem to notice.

That is until he said, "You have made me bleed. No one has done that and lived to tell the tale." He then began strolling towards the dark-haired man, sword glinting in the firelight from the nearby torches. "I would commend you, but my previous words stand."

Bruce snarled at that. "I'm through playing your sick game, Ra's. I'm putting you down and then sending you right to where you belong: in prison."

That made the approaching man pause. For a moment, he looked as if he considered those words ludicrous before his eyes widened. "That is not the speech of the Detective I know," he said slowly.

Then his eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. "Could it be the Fountain not only restored your life, but your memories as well? How marvelous."

Bruce then began closing the distance between them, moving at the same pace as the previous time. This time, Ra's was ready for him, bringing his sword up and pointing it at the black-clad man. The moment they were within striking distance of each other, Ra's wrist flicked up and coiled his arm back to his body, raising the point of the blade before extending his arm out and swinging the sword down.

The dark-haired man dodged to his right, avoiding the strike; yet, he held back a counter, waiting for the right moment. In the meantime, Ra's flung his sword away before swinging it back in a sideswipe. This time Bruce dropped down to crouch on the ground, ducking the swipe as he leaned to a side and lashed out with his leg. As he kicked out Ra's legs, the man's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards, trying to regain his balance.

Taking advantage of the moment, Bruce sprang forth, shooting a hand out to grab the Demon's Head's wrist, keeping the sword at bay. Drawing back his other hand, he went low and imbedded his fist in his opponent's gut, knocking the wind out of him in an explosive gasp. Again and again, he fired punch after punch into Ra's abdomen, forcing the man back a step with each blow, only ending his barrage with an uppercut to the chin. Ra's head snapped back as he was lifted off the ground, the dark-haired man releasing his hold as he watched his opponent fly backward and land on the ground on his back.

Hand reaching for his belt, he pulled out a throwing star, waiting calmly for Ra's to begin standing again before he threw it. The star hit the man's sword hand, causing him to gasp out in pain, dropping the weapon. Grasping his injured hand, Ra's sent a heated glare at the younger man. "Your insolence tries my patience," he spat out.

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Bruce taunted as he unclasped the clasped connecting his cloak to his armor, tossing it to a side as he dropped into a fighting stance. Releasing his pained hand, Ra's adopted his own stance, the two facing off with each other.

For a moment, neither man moved. Due to where he stood, Bruce was able to see that the other assassins were staying by the monks, a blessing for him. It was a surprise that they hadn't rushed him when Ubu had, but perhaps they had orders not to get involved. Either that or they were waiting for the right time to strike and/or provide assistance to Ra's.

Apparently Ra's noticed his attention had been diverted and launched himself at Bruce. Resetting himself he waited for his charging opponent to attack, he saw the first blow coming in low for his liver, which was quickly followed by a jab to the throat. Bruce blocked the blows and prepared to launch a counterattack, only to have Ra's rotate take his left arm, bringing it under the dark-haired man's guard. Flexing his wrist and making the palm prominent, he shot it up and rammed it under Bruce's chin, snapping his head backwards. Instantly, the older man lashed out with his other hand, sending his palm for another strike at the younger man's throat.

It was by happenstance that Bruce took a step back, due to the force of the first blow knocking him off balance. That was the only reason why Ra's strike landed on his chest rather than his more vulnerable throat. Regardless, it knocked the wind out of him, causing him to back up more and hunch over from the blow.

Sucking in as much air as he could, Bruce shot his eyes up just in time to see Ra's send a kick flying at his head. In an instant, the younger man had both of his arms up, taking the brunt of the blow with his forearms. To do this, he had to turn his body to face the kick, which left his side facing Ra's.

Still, this did present him an opportunity. Pushing off his opponent's leg, he used his closest arm and swung it at Ra's, attempting to backhand him in the face. Ra's blocked this, of course, but the force of the block caused Bruce to spin, revealing his back to his opponent. Knowing an attack was imminent, the dark-haired man dropped low, feeling the breeze of a missed strike just above his head. Using his spin, he continued it, extending his leg out and sweeping out Ra's legs from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground.

Bruce backed off then, putting some distance between him and his opponent. He needed to regroup before their next exchange. From what he could gather, Ra's was going for his vital areas, with the strikes aimed at his liver and throat. Any other attack was a setup for another shot at a vulnerable area. Fortunately, his ribs weren't injured anymore, which provided him with the full range of his body, so there was nothing slowing him down. Ra's also seemed to have a low guard on his legs, since he had successfully knocked his legs out from under him twice now.

Yet, it was possible Ra's was also leading him into a potential trap by showing a weak point early on and drawing his opponent into a compromising position to exploit it. It would be best to limit those attacks, though if an opportunity presented itself…

Eyes sharpening, he focused on his opponent, the man standing back on his feet in a fighting stance. Taking his own, Bruce and Ra's began to circle each other, slowly closing the distance between them.

As they got within striking distance of each other, Bruce sent a feign, jabbing at Ra's face, the man batting it aside easily. Bruce resisted the urge to drive in a blow with his elbow, knowing Ra's would be expecting it. Instead he pulled back, continuing to circle, waiting for Ra's to make his own move.

The older man didn't disappoint, sending his own jab at Bruce. Instead of blocking it, the dark-haired man caught the punch with his left hand, grabbing his opponent by his wrist. Yanking it to a side, he threw his right fist at Ra's face, the man catching the fist. Shifting his body towards Ra's left, Bruce sent a knee up, ramming it into the man's side, right where the kidney would be. Instantly, his opponent hissed, staggering back.

Bruce didn't let up, seeing another opening at Ra's feet. Shooting a leg out, he tripped the man, causing him to tumble to the ground, landing on his back. Pouncing, the dark-haired man grabbed one of his opponent's legs, and twisted the foot, attempting to break the ankle.

Ra's wasn't going to let that happen though, using his arms as leverage to push his body up and kicked out with his other leg, the bottom of his foot ramming into Bruce's face. Stunned, it was the younger man's turn to stumble back, releasing Ra's foot as he covered his bruised face with his hands.

Shaking off his daze, Bruce lowered his hands just in time to see Ra's flip back onto his feet, straightening out his body before charging at him. Stiffening his fingers, thumb curled into the palm, the older man made a jab at Bruce's eyes. Dodging to a side, the dark-haired man pivoted on on his feet, spinning along and down Ra's arm. Raising a fist up, he swung his arm out, landing a backhand blow to the back of his opponent's head, Ra's crying out in pain as he went stumbling forwards before falling to the ground, landing hard on his chest and face.

Taking a deep breath, Bruce tried to steady his breathing. All this exertion was beginning to tire him, his increased respirations a sign he was eating away at his endurance. However, he ended up sucking in air sharply when he saw Ra's begin to scramble forward, heading right for his fallen sword.

Instantly, he shot towards the crawling man, leaping over him with his arms extended out in front of him. As gravity forced him downward, the younger man landed with one hand on the ground, the other grabbing onto the sword hilt just before Ra's got to it. Falling into a roll, Bruce felt the dirt press against his back and his ass before he reached his feet, pushing up to stand before spinning around and pointing the end of the sword at Ra's neck.

The Demon's Head instantly froze, eyeing the tip before looking up to the younger man's face. The two men stared each other down, both knowing the fight was over. Surprisingly—though perhaps it should have been expected—a pleased expression began to cover Ra's face. "Well done, Detective," he congratulated Bruce. "I am at your mercy."

Bruce nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are."

"I knew you were capable of overcoming me and now I rejoice at your victory. Now, allow me my fate and end this battle. Claim your destiny and become the Demon's Head."

This time, Bruce shook his head. "I don't think so."

That seemed to catch Ra's off guard. Then, his face hardened. "Why not? You have defeated me and the weak must be vanquished. It is a law of nature!"

"And mankind should rise above such a law," the younger man rebutted. "You're under arrest, Ra's and you will answer for your—"

Suddenly, a deafening roar rang out, causing both men to tear their eyes away from one another and look towards the temple. One by one, each of the monks erupted in blue flames, their silhouettes visible through the sheen of fire. The assassins guarding them began screaming out as the flames leapt at them, setting them ablaze before consuming them whole.

Then, the monks spoke, their mouths moving in perfect unison, yet only one voice was heard. It was one Bruce found strangely familiar. **"You have defiled the Temple of Rama Kushna," **the chorus of priests proclaimed.** "This insult will not go unanswered, Mortals. Before the dawn of the new day, the Shifting City will be consumed by light, forever a memory, nothing more than a myth. Thus speaketh Rama Kushna!"**

A violent tremor began to shake the area, Bruce withdrawing his sword from Ra's to gain better balance of himself. Loud cracking sounds were made before the ground around he and Ra's broke apart. Green light shown through the gaps, different portions of the ground beginning to sink out of sight.

Spreading out in a random, spider's web pattern, the cracks raced all over, reaching the hundreds of pools that composed the Fountain of Life. The moment the cracks reached them, the water began emptying out of the pools, draining them until they were nothing more than damp holes.

"No," Ra's gasped as he scrambled onto his feet. Leaping over a growing chasm, he raced for the Fountain. "No!" he screamed in agony.

"Ra's!" Bruce shouted after him. "We have to get out of here! The whole place is falling apart!"

"Not without the Fountain!" the Demon's Head yelled back, but before Bruce could even think to go after him, a curtain of green flame erupted from the chasm separating the two. Shooting a hand up to instinctively protect his face, the young man glanced as the flames before making the executive decision to get out of there. There was no way he could fight through the raging fires and he got the feeling that if he didn't get out of there, he wouldn't get another chance.

Turning away, Bruce raced towards the stairway leading into the temple, leaping over growing opening in the ground. Reaching the steps, he shot up them, taking them two at a time until he reached the top and entered the building. He didn't even spare a last glance at whatever destruction was going on behind him, only knowing that he wanted no part of it.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Zatanna nearly stumbled out of what had formerly been a temple. At least she thought it was one since it looked like one of those worship-y places—looked being the key word. Out of nowhere, there had been some loud blast and the next thing the magician knew, the building began splitting in half with green light pouring out of the crack.

So yeah, she was totally out of there. Unfortunately, she had to dodge Mordecai all the while, what with her magical energies on empty and her fishnet-covered legs being her only means of escape. The mage hadn't made it easy though, appearing out of nowhere and throwing blue fireballs at her. Zatanna had lost count of how many sudden turns and dives through open doorways she had to do so she didn't end up extra crispy.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to shift and the dark-haired woman threw her arms out to steady herself. A few feet to her left the ground cracked wide open, the other side beginning to sink down, taking down several of the buildings with it. Oh, well if that wasn't pleasant; this place was falling apart. Awesome, great—clearly it was time to go.

That was when a cloud of smoke burst out ahead of her, Mordecai emerging from it with a casual swagger. "Had enough running, Woman?" he asked, sounding as if he were asking about the weather. It seemed he didn't care that there was a cliff next to him that should've been part of the plaza.

"Girls gotta stay in shape," Zatanna quipped, slowly edging away from the approaching man. "Though I wasn't sure you were able to keep up, so I decided to wait for you. Right now though, we've got a bit of a problem."

Glancing to the descending ground and temples next to them, Mordecai seemed to catch her meaning. "Yes, there does seem to be a disturbance occurring," he said mildly. "But there should be plenty of time to end your life before I leave."

At this, Mordecai's hands emerged from his robe sleeves, one of them holding a wicked-looking knife. Zatanna felt her stomach drop at the sight of it. "Though I could easily deal with you the way you are now," a smirk appeared on his face, "drained of your magical energies, I believe a more personal touch would be worthy."

"Please, please, don't make this a special occasion on my account," the dark-haired woman replied, backing up more than the slow shifting she had previously been doing. This only made the mage grin psychotically before he burst into a cloud of smoke.

Zatanna only had enough time for her eyes to widen before she felt a presence behind her. Shooting her hands up, she was just able to grab onto Mordecai's wrist with both of her hands, stopping his knife from slicing open her neck. Already her arms were shaking from the strain, the man's strength proving to be a little more than she could handle.

"Be at peace, Witch," Mordecai whispered softly and seductively. "Soon, you won't feel the pain you so dread."

_Easy for you to say_ Zatanna groused. She continued to hold on, fighting off what was slowly becoming inevitable—if she listened to the psycho behind her—when she suddenly had a much kinder, homelier voice go off in her head. This voice, she decided to listen to.

As quickly as she could, the dark-haired woman let go with her right hand and shot her arm down, ramming her elbow right into Mordecai's midsection, forcing the air in his lungs to explode out his mouth and nose. Feeling some of the man's strength let up, Zatanna continued to hold his arm off her as she raised a foot up and then stomped the heel of her shoe into his foot, causing a choked yelp to come from the mage's lips.

With her right hand again, she balled it up and flung it up and hair, the back of her hand slammed into Mordecai's nose, Zatanna feeling the cartilage snapping against the back of her fist. This finally left him wide ass open for the downward swing of her hand to smash his groin, effectively weakening Mordecai as he made a high-pitch squeak in response.

This also caused him to drop his knife to the ground, which Zatanna then pushed his arm away, taking a step forward before turning around. By then, Mordecai had fallen to his knees, gripping his damaged man parts and looking quite silly as he gasped over and over for air. Gazing at the pitiful-looking guy, she couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, you won't be feeling that pain for long."

Pivoting one of her feet, she turned as she raised her other leg, snapping it forward as she landed a roundhouse kick to the side of Mordecai's face, causing his head to snap to a side and the mage to collapse on the ground unconscious.

Ms. Hogie would be so proud of her.

Lowering her leg down, a spell of dizziness hit the dark-haired woman. Stumbling back a bit, Zatanna felt incredibly tired for some reason. Was it from all the magic she had used? Okay, yeah, she needed a nap right after she got out of this—

Again, she was assaulted by fatigue, making her step back again to maintain her balance. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized just how close she was to the edge of the newly-made cliff. It wasn't like she stepped off of it either; the back of her foot just settled on the cliff's edge and the next thing she knew, the ground gave way and she was pitched backwards, arms flinging around in vain to try and get her balance back. She wasn't sure whether she screamed or not, but she'd like to think she didn't embarrass herself too bad.

Hot air hit Zatanna as she found herself falling. As her body twisted and turned in midair, she was soon looking down, seeing what looked like a river of green water far beneath her. At least that explained the green light that would appear with each earth-shattering crack that was made. There was even some sort of gas wafting up from it, the smell not at all pleasant, telling her she did not want anything to do with the stuff.

Unfortunately, Zatanna was falling towards that river and there wasn't a single thing she could do to stop it. She had no more magic and there wasn't anything within grabbing distance for her to catch of hold of.

If she hadn't been screaming as she plunged off the cliff, Zatanna was sure she started right then.

* * *

Bruce rocketed down the hall, ignoring the sight of burnt wood to his left and a large hole to his right. Even as he ran, he could feel the tremors through his feet and they were alarmingly occurring with greater frequency and strength. Nanda Parbat was going down quickly and his odds of getting out of it were dropping by the second.

He didn't remember this hallway being this long—his mind playing games with him perhaps? Ignoring it, he eventually saw the temple's entrance, much to his relief. Dashing out of it, he found himself in what was left of the courtyard, a sheer cliff out in front of him that was growing taller and taller. Slowing to a stop, Bruce examined the scene, looking for anything that could help him either climb the cliff or perhaps find higher ground that would offer him more time to escape.

However, his attention was soon diverted when he saw someone standing at the top of the cliff. Tall, slim, female, to phat on her head—Zatanna. Well, she was a sight for sore eyes. Perhaps if he could yell loud enough, she could use her—

And then, she seemed to stumble, causing Bruce to frown. What was that about? His concern multiplied when Zatanna leaned too far back and fell off the cliff. Without a second's hesitation, Bruce charged towards the cliff, pushing his sore legs as hard as he could. Even from where he was, he could see some kind of green smoke or gas flowing up into the air, indicating there was a sizeable gap between the two levels of ground.

Closer and closer, he raced towards the edge, eyes glued to Zatanna's falling body, figuring out pretty quickly that if there was even an ounce of magic in her, she would've used to teleport away already. Since she hadn't, her only chance of surviving was him and he was not going to let her down. The distance between them disappeared rapidly, Bruce trying to adjust their intersecting point to the right moment, guessing he still had about twenty five feet before he would find out.

Twenty feet.

Ten feet.

Five.

Reaching the edge, Bruce leapt off of it, flying through the air and over the crevice below. Zatanna's plummeting form drew closer to him, the woman not even looking at him as she seemed focused on whatever was beneath them.

And then their bodies collided into each other. Wrapping his arms around her, Bruce held her tightly, Zatanna instinctively doing the same as her arms looped around his torso, one above his shoulder and the other at his side.

Due to their midair crash, they were slowly spinning as they fell, their course bringing them towards the side of the cliff. With every rotation, Bruce would lock his eyes on the rock wall, trying to time his next move perfectly. If he messed this up, he and the dark-haired woman in his arms were going to have about twenty seconds to regret it. With hot air battering against their bodies, it was making it a little hard to make a correct judgement.

_Steady…_

_Steady…_

_Now!_

As Bruce had his back to the cliff, turning to face it, he swung his left arm out, pressing his triangle blades into the rock surface. The blades successfully penetrated the rock, but unfortunately they began cutting through it, breaking off pieces of stone as he and Zatanna continued to fall.

And then, at last, they caught a hold of something sturdy and stopped their cutting, sticking into the rock wall. This had the effect of stopping the couple's fall, their bodies whipping down wildly as a shooting, burning pain exploding in Bruce's shoulder as the joint became dislocated. The young man let out a loud scream, faintly hearing it echoed in the air as it bounced off the crevice walls. Ending his scream, he hissed and gasped as he tried to cope with the pain, looking down with strained eyes at the woman holding on tightly to him, her head buried into his chest. Even through the pain, Bruce felt a sense of relief. They were safe now.

_She_ was safe.

Squeezing his arm in what he hoped was a comforting gesture against her, Bruce spoke through his intense discomfort, "I've got you. I've got you, Zana."

Instantly, he felt Zatanna's body stiffen against his body and arm, the young woman snapping her head up to look at him a moment later, her eyes searching his with a question deep within. Though sweaty, dirt-stained, and wincing slightly from his protesting shoulder, Bruce tried his best to let her know that it was indeed him.

That seemed to answer her unspoken question as she tightened her embrace, letting out a cry of joy before burying her face into his injured shoulder. Bruce fought down the searing pain he felt from the gesture, only allowing himself to grimace. He could feel Zatanna trembling against him, overwhelmed by her emotions.

And even as they dangled above the steaming green river, Bruce felt that everything would be alright.


	29. Don't Say Goodbye

**So come and take this chance with me tonight  
Don't close your eyes****And turn to walk away  
So come and take this chance with me tonight**  
**Don't say goodbye  
With words still left to say  
Goodbye**

**-Don't Say Goodbye by Trust Company**

* * *

The pickup truck roughly bounced and jerked around as it drove off-road. Johnny pressed a hand against the glove compartment in front of him to steady himself. Sykes was a crummy driver to begin with, but he was the only one that owned a car between the four of them and they needed the truck.

It had become an initiation tradition when new guys wanted to join the Jokerz, aside from dressing and painting their faces like clowns. They were in Sheldon Park, heading towards that stupid statue of the Batman, the one they kept putting back on its stand every year, just to have guys like Johnny and Sykes come along to pull it down. You had to admire the idiocy of the city officials for always erecting this eyesore of a statue.

Of course, it had been about a month since they stood the thing up. Due to the GCPD coming down on the gang hard and the discovery of the legendary, real-as-shit Joker being the leader of the Jokerz—and then promptly blowing up half of Gotham again—it had been tough for anyone to move around without three squad cars flying in to arrest them. The initiation had been delayed because of the added heat, at least until now.

Headlights on, they soon saw the statue right where they knew it would be. Pulling to a stop in front of it, Sykes threw the gear shift into park before opening his car door and climbing out, Johnny doing the same. Behind them, Knox and some guy named Jackal began tossing out thick chains and spray paint cans from the truck bed. Once Knox jumped out of the bed of the pickup, Johnny helped him pick up the chains and carry them to the front of the truck and out towards the statue. Sykes and Jackal carried a set of ladders right behind them. Once the four men reached the statue, they dropped the chains and ladders roughly on the ground.

Now came the hard part.

* * *

"Cheer up, GL, we won," Flash said, leaning against a large boulder. "Sure, Panda Parfait got wrecked, but everyone's alive, we got our bad guys tied up, and we saved countless people from getting a lizard bath. What's not to like?"

The Green Lantern leveled an unamused look at the red-clad man. "One, it's called Lazarus and we still need to go deactivate the bombs at the other pits, so we're far from done, Hot Shot. Two, we didn't catch Ra's al Ghul and there's no telling what other plans he might have that our 'whistleblower' didn't tell us about."

"And three, you're just a Negative Nancy," Flash retorted. "So we find the pits and clear them out; that's clean up duty. And as for the Ghoul guy, Batman saw him get caught up in a giant fireball. No way he got out of their alive."

"Are you willing to take that chance?" John challenged.

"We can keep looking for him," Superman said, stepping in between the two. Truthfully, he was on John's side in this. They weren't done cleaning up the mess and until that was done, none of them could afford to relax. Though it was likely Ra's was dead, it was tough to accept that without a body as physical proof, especially for a man that claimed to have lived for centuries.

"One of you flying types can do that," Flash said. "While I'm fast, I don't have a desire to accidentally fall into that pit that city became."

Then, he suddenly brightened up. "Besides, there's more important stuff to talk about. I mean, you got a look at Bats, right? Who'd thunk he'd be Bruce freaking Wayne of all people?"

That had been a very big topic amongst the people who knew who Bruce Wayne was. Or in Diana's case, cared. When everyone had regrouped after Nanda Parbat was destroyed, it became painfully obvious that Zatanna was missing. Superman and J'onn had gone back to find her, the Kryptonian being the one to stumble upon her clinging to the billionaire while hanging from the side of a cliff.

Superman had been shocked at this discovery, though that ended when Wayne looked right at him and growled for him to pull them out. That low, gravelly voice seemed strange coming from a man that was known for being blase and cheery. Though reluctant, it took Zatanna's assurance that everything was alright for him to get them out of there. A mental call to J'onn had alerted the Martian to return to the others.

Of course, when they arrived with the others, Flash and John had dropped their jaws in astonishment, while Hawkgirl looked startled. Diana had been the only one to regard him coolly, though Superman had the feeling that had Zatanna not stayed glued to the black-clad man, the Amazon would've tried to restrain him. Either that or she just wasn't all that familiar with who Bruce Wayne was. There was an argument for anything at this point.

"If you want to gossip, I suggest you find a high school," John said with derision.

"Aww, c'mon, GL! This is hot stuff we're sitting on! I mean, how many people actually know Gotham's richest bachelor's been dressing up like a bat and beating people with his fists?"

"Not many," the Man of Steel answered before adding, "and it's going to stay that way. We all have our secret identities, Flash, and it would be wrong for us to out him."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me," the red-clad man protested. "I get the dual identity stuff, believe me. But I at least have to get used to the idea first and the only people I can talk about it with are you guys."

"There's always Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl," John suggested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh, GL, really, worst idea ever. Wondy and Wings look like they'd rather rip the guy's arms off rather than talk about them." Flash paused them. "Speaking of which, where are they?"

"Watching the Seven Men of Death," Superman replied. "And we also have to make sure they're turned over to the proper authorities."

"I can do that," John volunteered, turning to walk off. "I'm the only one that can transport them all at once. I'll catch up with everyone when I'm done."

The Kryptonian nodded his acknowledgement, not that John saw it. Before Flash could pick up the conversation though, Superman began focusing on his super hearing. J'onn was taking care of the wounded and that included Bruce Wayne.

* * *

"That should do it," Johnny said as he gave the chains a strong tug.

It had taken the better part of fifteen minutes for the four of them to wrap the chains around the statue, but they had done it. Sykes and Knox were currently attaching one end of the chains to the bumper of the pickup, making sure it was on tight.

Climbing down the ladder, Johnny closed it before hauling it back to the truck like Jackal did before him. Reaching the side of the truck, he tossed the ladder in, stopping to frown that it was the only one in the pickup bed. "Hey, anyone seen Jackal?" he called out.

Knox and Sykes popped their heads over the hood, looking at Johnny. "He's not at that statue?" Sykes asked.

"Naw, man, he went to toss his ladder back in the truck, but mine's the only one back here."

The three looked at each other before Knox turned away and shouted, "Jackal! Where the hell are ya, man?!"

That was followed by Sykes and Johnny calling out for their fourth member, but not hearing anything back. Now this was annoying; did that guy bail on them when they weren't looking? Goddamn cocksucker. Johnny scowled as he walked around the back of the pickup, looking this way and that for Jackal and not seeing a thing.

When he reached the other side of the truck though, he quickly spotted the second later lying on the ground as if it had been dropped there. Goddamn it, did that lazy asshole just pitch the thing there? Johnny knew they shouldn't have brought him along.

That was when he heard the scream.

* * *

"Would you stop fidgeting, Bruce?" Zatanna said disapprovingly. "I know you're uncomfortable, what with the others seeing your face, but they're not that bad."

There was a snort from "Bruce." Apparently he didn't share the dark-haired woman's optimism.

"Hey, don't give me that," she reprimand him. "These are superheroes with their own secret identities. They're not about to just turn you over to the media and expose you to the world."

"You do realize you're talking about one man that can't stop talking for more than six seconds, another man who doesn't bother with one, and an Amazon who only just recently took on a new identity to get acquainted with the world," the man retorted.

There was a brief silence before Zatanna admitted, "Okay, you kinda got me there."

J'onn didn't mean to eavesdrop on the two; he was only there to render medical attention and just so happened to be close enough to hear that exchange. It didn't take a telepath to know that this Bruce Wayne was highly uncomfortable with having six people he knew little about knowing his alter ego.

Walking towards the two with a makeshift sling he was able to build, the Martian approached them, making sure to be out in the open to put Bruce Wayne at ease. There was no reason to antagonize the man any more than he already was.

Sometime during the fighting, he had managed to dislocate his shoulder. Superman had been the one to put it back in place, though J'onn found it slightly disturbing the man hadn't reacted to the procedure. He had been still as a statue and just as emotionless as Superman reinserted the humeral head back into the socket—at least externally. Internally, for a brief moment, J'onn had been able to pick up on the man's discomfort.

"There wasn't much, but I was able to make this for your arm," the Martian said as he drew closer, holding the sling out. Before him, Zatanna and the man were sitting on a flat rock, barely a gap between the two. It seemed the dark-haired woman was quite reluctant to leave Bruce Wayne's side, though the man didn't seem all that concerned about it.

Upon seeing the sling, the dark-haired man presented his injured side to the Martian, an indication he was fine with J'onn putting it on. Accepting the invitation, J'onn wrapped the body of the sling around the man's forearm and elbow, taking hold of the strap and hanging it over his shoulder.

They were all silent during this process. J'onn chose to focus on his task, though he did feel the need to address Bruce Wayne's concerns. After all, the Martian did understand why he needed it. "You seem uncomfortable," he commented.

He felt Bruce Wayne's eyes focus on him. "And what gives you that impression?"

J'onn looked up at the dark-haired man, seeing Zatanna looking at him from the corner of his eye. "Your general ill ease around myself and the others. If there is anything I can do to help relieve you of your concerns, I would be happy to be of assistance."

Bruce Wayne stared at him for what felt like several minutes, but eventually he answered, "No thanks. There's really not much you could do, no offense."

"Bruce!" Zatanna snapped at him reprovingly, her eyes switching over to the dark-haired man as she frowned. "J'onn's only trying to help. You don't have to brush him off like that."

The man turned his head to regard her calmly. He didn't look the least bit chastised. "I know, but again, there isn't anything he could do." He paused before returning his attention to the Martian. "Well, except tell your Kryptonian friend to quit eavesdropping."

A bubble of humor welled up in J'onn, a small smile appearing on his face. "What gives you that impression, if I may ask?"

"Aside from him being nosy? He keeps standing in a way that keeps one of his ears directed at us. He's also barely talking to the Flash, who keeps having to redirect his attention. Not very subtle if you catch my meaning."

J'onn just continued to smile as he reached out with his mind. _I suppose you heard that, Superman?_

_He's a sharp one, isn't it?_ Superman replied back, though not at all malicious. He seemed more amused by it if anything.

_Indeed. I am going to have to request you listen to the Flash now and not us. And you may want to redirect Flash's attention from Batman onto something else._

Closing the mental link, J'onn refocused his attention on Bruce Wayne, getting back to securing the sling. "I have done as you've requested."

"Thanks," the man grunted.

"See?" Zatanna said, "just like I told you, he's just trying to help."

When Bruce Wayne didn't answer, J'onn felt he should take another gamble and broach the topic that was certainly more pressing for the man. "As a man with a dual identity, I understand the discomfort you are feeling in regards to having to share that secret with others against your wishes."

He felt the man stiffen under his administrations. Perhaps J'onn had been too bold in bringing that up. Though his first inclination was to withdraw, he instead decided to offer what humans would refer to as an olive branch. "If it would make you feel any better, I would gladly offer you mine."

To his surprise, Bruce Wayne answered, "That isn't necessary." When J'onn met his gaze, the man continued, "I've spent the better part of two years researching each and every one of you, mostly to determine your strengths and weaknesses." He then added with emphasis, "That also includes other possible aliases you may have been using."

J'onn felt cold at that admission. Was it possible this one man had managed to deduce all of their alter egos? The very thought was chilling to say the least. However, it seemed Bruce Wayne wasn't finished speaking. "You may want to tell the others about this in case any of them get the idea they can use my own identities against me."

Nodding, J'onn quickly finished his administrations before taking his leave. He didn't get very far though, when he heard Zatanna speak up. "Was that _really_ necessary, Bruce?"

"Yes, Zana, it really was."

* * *

Johnny hurried around the pickup, stepping into the headlights as he saw Sykes running up to him. "What the hell was that?!" Johnny demanded.

"What did it sound like?" Synes replied sarcastically. "It was a damn scream, ya moron. Sounded like it came from this way."

Johnny scowled, but bit back his tongue. There were more pressing things than getting into an argument right now. "Got some flashlights in the truck?"

"Yeah, there's a couple under the seat."

Turning around, Johnny went to the driver's door, opening it, and looking under the driver's seat, seeing the flashlights. Grabbing them, he pulled them out and slammed the door behind him, going back to Sykes and handing him one of the flashlights. Clicking them on, they began waving them around as they started their search, looking for the source of the scream.

It didn't take them long either as they found Knox lying on the ground, blood dripping from his nose and his eyes rolled into his skull. "Oh shit," Sykes hissed. "That's Knox!"

"What happened to him?" Johnny wondered in awe.

"Who the fuck cares? I'm getting my ass out of here," Sykes shot back before turning and running back to the pickup. Staring at Knox, Johnny felt that getting out of here was probably the best idea and spun around to run. Before he could get anywhere, there was a loud crash, the sound of glass shattering.

* * *

It had been almost a month since the incident at Nanda Parbat. Since then, Diana had been all over the world, removing bombs from Lazarus Pits and then sealing the pits off so that no one could use them as Ra's al Ghul had. The others had done the same and after a week, that chapter of her life closed.

Since then, the Amazon had little contact with the others, going back to fulfilling her duties in Gateway City as the others had done in their respective cities. She honestly had felt that things would have stayed that way until Superman arrived earlier today, asking that she they all meet up to discuss an important matter.

Agreeing, the two of them had flown away from Gateway, heading up the coast until they reached a sleepy little town called Happy Harbor. There the rest of the group was waiting for them as they descended, Superman landing next to the Martian Manhunter while Diana touched down next to Hawkgirl and Zatanna.

"Alright, Big Guy, what's with the hush-hush meeting?" Flash asked, a cheeseburger and large drink in his hands. He then promptly took a large bite of the cheeseburger, chewing loudly and oblivious to the mustard clinging to the corner of his mouth.

"And make it quick," Hawkgirl added. "I've got somewhere I need to be."

Superman nodded his acknowledgement at those words. "Sure thing, I'll make this quick. I've been doing some thinking since Nanda Parbat—"

"What's there to think about?" Flash spoke up, food showing in his mouth. It was rather undignified if Diana didn't say so herself.

Choosing to answer that, Superman said, "I think all of us worked together rather well, despite everyone not having worked with many of us here. It also got me thinking there's more to this world than just us protecting our own cities."

"Agreed," the Green Lantern interjected. "I myself patrol a sector of space, not just Earth."

"Isn't that part of your job though?" Hawkgirl replied, arms crossed over her chest.

"It still makes my point though," Superman continued. "There's more that we can all do, not just myself or John. We all have these incredible powers and the entire world could benefit from them."

"So you wish for us all to begin protecting larger areas of the planet?" Diana asked, surmising what the man was getting at. Though she was not opposed to the idea, it would require a greater commitment from everyone and that wasn't entirely feasible for every single person.

"Yes," the Kryptonian answered, "but also that we do it together."

That made the Amazon blink owlishly. Was this man trying to get them to work together on a regular basis? Was that what he was getting at?

"I know that I'm asking a lot out of everyone here, but if there is one thing I've learned from Nanda Parbat, it's that there are evil men out there that aren't simply content with doing bank robberies, or stealing experimental weapons. There are people that are plotting to control the world, maybe even destroy it like Ra's al Ghul intended. It's possible that we may not have been able to find out about his plan until we did, but if we can work together, I believe that we can be more proactive in catching onto those sorts of schemes."

"So you think we should become a group that patrols the world?" Flash questioned, his food gone, but his beverage still in hand. "Do you think something like that would work?"

"It does hold some possibilities," Green Lantern responded. "And I for one would gladly join."

Flash looked between the Lantern and Superman for a moment before he said, "Hey, if you really think it'll work, you can count me in too. I just wanted to make sure we weren't just making a Facebook group that ends up collecting cobwebs after the first week."

Superman simply nodded. "Thanks Flash, John." He then turned his attention to the rest of the group, silently asking the same question.

Diana looked to Hawkgirl and Zatanna first, trying to gauge what they would do. While this offer showed promise, she was interested to see what her fellow Sisters thoughts. Hawkgirl didn't pay her any mind as she shrugged her shoulders. "I can't see how this can hurt," she answered, "and it's not like I have anything else important to do."

"I thought you had to be somewhere?" Flash pointed out. "Or was that you wanting to make a quick escape?"

Though Diana didn't like Flash's accusation, Hawkgirl didn't seem the least bit troubled, even going as far to offer a smirk at the red-dressed man. "I don't have my phone on me so I couldn't have one my girlfriends call and give me a ready-made excuse to leave."

Diana...didn't understand what that meant, but the others did as smiles appeared on their faces. A quick glance to Zatanna showed that she thought it was funny, so the Amazon relaxed. "I will offer my own sword to this cause," she offered, placing her hands on her hips comfortably.

"I will join as well," J'onn responded quietly.

That just left Zatanna as the last to agree. As all eyes turned to her, the dark-haired woman gave a resigned smile and said, "I've got other plans, sorry. I'm gonna have to decline the invite."

"What? Are we not good enough for you?" Flash asked.

The dark-haired woman held a hand up to pacify the man. "More like the other way around."

The Amazon did not like the self-depreciation and attempted to encourage her. "You are just as capable as anyone here, Sister. It would be our honor if you were to join us."

Zatanna nodded in appreciation, but unfortunately continued to decline. "Well, the thing is, I've got other commitments, what with getting Batman back on his feet. I'm gonna be helping him out with that and trust me, that's more than I can handle."

"Consider it an open offer then," Superman said. "Our doors will always be open to you."

"Thanks." Zatanna sighed then. "Well, I better get going. I wish you all the best with this." She then waved a hand at them before chanting, "Nruter ot evac."

In a flash of light, followed by a cloud of smoke, the magician disappeared, leaving the rest of them alone. Though she was sad, Diana wished her Sister the best in her endeavors.

Yet, this meeting was not over. "So, what do we call ourselves?" Flash asked, taking a sip from his drink from its straw, a loud slurping sound being made. "The Super-Friends?"

"Ugh, that was bad," Green Lantern responded, rolling his eyes. "Even for you."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're clearly not the one to pick the name," Hawkgirl replied.

"Actually," Superman spoke up, an attempt to head off furthering the tangent the conversation was going, "I was thinking more about a League."

* * *

"Sykes?" Johnny called out, fear starting to well up in him. Slowly, he began to walk towards the truck, his flashlight shining in front of him until he came up to the pickup. Sykes laid unconscious next to it, his face bloody with pieces of glass sprinkled around him. Looking up to the truck, Johnny could see the driver's window was smashed open.

"What the hell is this?!" Johnny shrieked as he began spinning around, pointing his flashlight at anything he came across. "Is someone out there? Come on out then!"

When he didn't see anything, he snarled. There was definitely someone out there and they were messing with the wrong guy. Reaching to his waistband, he grabbed the handle of his gun and yanked it out, holding the weapon out in front of him. "Alright you coward, I got a little something for ya," he growled.

Suddenly, something struck his hand, sending a jolt of pain racing up his arm as his gun was ripped out of his grasp, causing him to yelp. Dropping his flashlight as well, Johnny held his hand, blowing on it to lessen the pain.

Seriously, what the hell was going on? First his boys were taken out one by one, then he had his gun knocked out of his hand; whatever this was, it had gone on too long. He needed to find his gun quickly before something else happened.

Kneeling down, Johnny grabbed the flashlight with his good hand and began searching for his gun, finding it several feet away. He made his way to pick it up, but stopped when he heard a sound. If he wasn't mistaken, it sounded like a sharp groaning sound. Looking around, Johnny soon found himself staring right at the pickup, the light from his flashlight shining on it and moving up towards the roof of the vehicle.

There, on top of the cab was a large mass of darkness. He could just make out a face on it, one with horns and blank white eyes. It stared at him, unnerving Johnny with every passing second. "What the hell is that?" he asked out loud, a quiver in his voice.

Suddenly, that stinging pain exploded in his other hand, his flashlight being forced from his hand, just like his gun. Howling, Johnny gripped his newly hurt hand, hissing in pain. This...this...thing must be doing this. It had to be!

Jerking his eyes back to the truck, he found that the dark mass was no longer on the cab. Instead it was high above him, growing bigger as it descended upon him, its white eyes focused solely on him.

And all Johnny could do was scream.

* * *

And that's the end for this one. I gotta say, I was impressed with the reception to this one, especially considering the previous three stories. I would like to thank everyone that read, reviewed, and enjoyed this story. I really appreciate it.

However, this isn't over just yet. Anonymous Void is jumping back into the fray for the next story in this series, which is currently titled: Thirteen Nightmares. It's going to be posted on his account, so for anyone interested, keep an eye out there. It's back to the streets of Gotham with Batman having to pick up right where he left off in a city that isn't how it used to be.

That's all I've got for y'all. Once again, thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this story.

Until next time,

ShadowMajin


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